Inner Limits
by VnikkiR
Summary: The Lord of the Underworld is dying and must feed upon the powers of Cloud, the Chosen One, to continue his evil reign. Only Aeris knows of Cloud’s destiny and must protect him at all cost, even if she must sacrifice her love and her life.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

**[Part One]**

Trion was the most poverty-stricken city found on the continent Spira. Its conditions had been worsened by decades of unruly management, yet its terrible state has been strong enough to withstand its inhabitants' untamed treatments. Those who lived in Spira's other cities cringed at the fact that there were actually people who'd call a place like that "home".

Despite its poor status, its vast population was remarkable, for Trion's population had grown steadily over the years because of the countless people that chose to live there. It's where people go when they are outcasts or unwanted from the public, almost like a home for the exiled, or for those who have felt like they had given up on life. Families that ended up moving there were either on the verge of becoming homeless or had already lost everything in their possession.

Life didn't have much value in Trion. Many had gone insane and even more were suicidal. Drugs and alcohol were like candy. Anyone who wanted it could get it anywhere from anyone. Some wasted away their lives from drinking, drug addiction, and sex. People were able to get away with their appalling transactions because Trion was a city that had no leadership, for no one ever wanted to run such a poorly maintained place like it, which gave the people who lived there an advantage: they didn't have any rules or any laws to obey. They just did as they pleased without a care in the world.

There would be nights that several streets throughout the city would be vibrantly lit and filled with wild people to clutter the scenes. Every night, people stayed out late until the break of dawn hanging out with their mischievous friends doing whatever comes to mind. Teenagers often went out to party at other peoples' residences, or disturbing the silence of the evenings with hazardous drag races. Most of the adults get drunk from whiskeys and beers at Trion's most popular bar, Pub Medusa, or to do drugs and get laid at Bicmoy Lane, home of the Trion prostitute girls. Parents would try to protect their youngsters from the bad influence that spreads through the city by staying in their homes hoping against reality that they would be safe from harm.

If there was one thing that undeniably existed in the streets of Trion, it was violence. Violence usually came from people's haunting pasts, but in most cases, it came from the Red Wolves, Trion's lethal gang. The Red Wolves were a large group of people with various age ranges. Each member had their own story, but had one thing in common: their need to make others suffer the pain they've had to endure through the years of their life. They wouldn't waste a single breath on a sick toddler or even on a homeless orphan. As long as there was suffering, nothing else mattered. There wasn't anything that anyone could do about it because authority was nonexistent in this city. This place was more like a dangerous neighborhood with evils lurking within the shadows than what they'd call "home".

It was a disheartening place, yet these people cherished it for the fact that it was all that they had left. But as fate would have it, there would be one. Through the gray fog that caged in gloomy clouds of sorrow that neither the strongest gust of wind nor the most treacherous tornado could ever sweep away, there would be one. One that would want to escape this city of despair; one that would want to leave and make something of their life; one that would run. That one person was no one other than _him_.

**[Part 2]**

The screeching sound of a revving engine startled a homeless family from slumber. "What in the blaze is that?" the father complained. He slothfully crumpled off the pages of "Daily Gaia", Spira's worldwide newspaper that he used as sheets, as he got up from the damp floor with a back full of throbbing bones. The noise woke a resting woman who was lying on a filthy used mattress that she'd found in the dumpster months before. Careful not to wake the small child wrapped between her arms, she spoke delicately to her husband.  
"It's probably just another drag race, honey," replied his heavy-eyed wife. "You know how crazy these kids are nowadays." Seeing that her obstinate husband barely cared to listen, she sighed heavily, "Come on, Cid, don't worry about them. Just go back to sleep."  
"I will," he snorted. "Once I see the jerk making all that loud racket." His hand massaged his lower back with an attempt to soothe the soreness of sleeping on an unevenly hard ground. Shoving aside torn pieces of curtain, he wiped away thick spider webs and a thin layer of dust off a cracked window with an old handkerchief to get a clearer view of the activity outside the building.  
"What's going on, Mommy?" a little boy about ten years old had awoken. He yawned loudly, but hushed with a frowned look from his mother. "Sorry..." he mumbled apologetically.  
Sighing once more, she held her son closely, "It's your father. He's gone to check who's making all that noise outside." She shook her head with disapproval at her husband and told her son to go back to sleep.  
"Hilda!" Cid whispered hoarsely a moment later. "Get over here!"  
"What...? Why?" despite her exhaustion, she lifted her fatigued body up and walked towards the window. It was a cold night, she realized as she wrapped her aged sweater tightly around her.  
"Lookie what we got here!" he pointed out the window towards a bright light shone from the headlights of a motorcycle. Someone was crouched down besides it with tools scattered about on the ground.  
"It's just someone fixing a motorcycle!" Hilda said giving him a weak shove on the arm. She began walking away when he grabbed her hand pulling her back.  
"Yes, yes, I know," he replied waving his hand. "But look at who is fixing it." Hilda exhaled impatiently; she always gets cranky if she doesn't get enough sleep. She began to grow restless and started to walk back towards her sleeping son when something about the stranger had caught her attention. Whoever it was had just finished repairing the motorcycle and was wiping their hands in a cloth smeared with black oil, but it wasn't just the stranger that caused her eyes to widen; it was what they were wearing.  
"Oh my Lord!" Hilda cried shockingly. Her jaw hung loose with astonishment while she pressed her fingers against the corners of her lips.  
"See? I knew my gut wasn't growling for nothing", he chuckled patting his abdomen.  
"It's not your gut telling you anything, it's the dinner you skipped last night", Hilda said with rolling eyes. Clasping her hands together, she cried, "But this is wonderful! Do you think he'll be able to help us?"  
"I don't know," Cid said carefully. He scratched his gray-specked beard in deep thought. "But we need all the help we can get."  
Hilda stood by her husband unable to comprehend that their prayers might finally be answered. "I just hope it's not too late."

**[Part 3]**

****

The motorcycle's engine whined with a weak roar as he turned the handles of his Black Ninja XRV. His arms drooped to his sides as a heavy sigh escaped from his lips. Crouching down to pick up the tools that lay scattered about the ground, he threw them into the toolbox with frustration launching it back into the small compartment under the seat of the vehicle. He shook his head feeling a new rush of anger pumping in his veins. What's wrong with me? He thought. Ever since he arrived Trion, he was struck with a loathing emotion that was unexplainably familiar. 

Wiping the smudges of oil off his hands with an old cloth, the teenager got up to examine his motorcycle for any other kinks that could get in the way of his driving. He'd been cruising through numerous cities for hours and it wasn't until then that he decided to give it a tune up. Ever since he left his home in Galbadia, the thought of taking a break for rest and food hadn't even crossed his mind, not until he arrived his destination: Trion.

A light breeze ruffled the spikes of his blonde hair. He seemed completely unfazed to the cold weather despite his loose attire. He dressed in his casual military garments composed of simple navy blue clothing, which he chose plainly because he wanted to be comfortable for his long ride ahead. Leaning back against the seat of his bike, he looked at the gloomy street surrounding him.

It was a well-lit street filled with roads busted by large cracks and potholes. Roots and weeds of plants had grown between the empty spaces of broken pavement framing the road, revealing a worn sidewalk in desperate need of renovation. Between them were curbs littered with trash. He saw a starved neglected dog rummage through the piles of rubbish near a rusted bench while rats picked on a dead piece of road-kill by a tall wooden fence dressed with spray painted artwork and ripped posters that managed to stay pasted onto the rotting pieces of wood. Down the street to his left was a bridge rimmed with a steel fence where a drunken couple stumbled home in laughter. Down the street to his right were tall abandoned buildings with an eerie silence that screamed in need of a transformation. In front of him was a rickety apartment building. In the distance, he could hear the sounds of a drag race and music blasting in the background. Maybe it was just the faraway noises blurring through the breeze, but he could've sworn that he could hear soft murmurs nearby.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**[Part 4]**

"Who's that, Mommy?" unable to go back to sleep with all the noise, the little boy had awakened once more. He'd gone to his parents' side as each of them peered through the broken window.

"I'm not so sure myself," Hilda answered skeptically. "But if what your Dad thinks is true..."

"It is true," murmured Cid, "It has to be! I mean, look at his attire! It has military written all over it. And if there's one thing I know, I know that this guy right here is our last chance of getting anywhere in this place."

She looked weakly at her husband. "Yes, I know, honey, but it's been six months. Who knows? She could be halfway across Gaia by now."

"But the point is," he began, "Is that we do not give up. We can't do that to her, you know that." After giving her a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder, Cid turned away from the window and shuffled through the damp room looking for his gloves. He found them atop a crooked stool lying on top of cracked tiled floors. Quickly shoving his fingers through the moth eaten pockets, he cupped his hands together and blew on them gently to warm them from frost. Tightening his woolen cap, he spoke to the two, "Here's the plan, we get him from behind and—

"What!" Hilda cried. "Cid, no! He's just a man, we can't even tell if he has any weapons or not!"

"Then what do you suggest we do, hmm?" he asked her irritated. Seeing that she gave no response was enough. "Exactly. Look, I'm not going to kill him, but if it gets to the point where we need to hold him down then—"

"We could just tell him what's wrong!" she argued. "We don't need to hurt anyone!" Cid wouldn't see it her way as he argued on. Hilda shook her head exasperatedly rubbing her temples firmly with her bony fingers as she tried to think of some way to speak to the stranger. The soft pounding of a creaky front door cut through her thoughts. "Oh my God, Cid!" she tried but unsuccessfully failed to cut him off. "Cid! Jonathon's gone!"

"What!" the two looked around the room to see it empty of any beings besides themselves and the critters that live in the deep corners of their home. "Oh no..." she pointed towards the window. "Cid look!" His eyes shifted out the window when he saw a shadowed figure walk towards the stranger.  
  
**[Part 5]**

Outside, the unknown teen stood staring longingly up at the haunting night sky. There was a moment of calm that soothingly washed over his heart as he gazed deeply at the twinkling stars. A small grin crept across his face, causing him to look away with dizziness. He found his temples pounding as he searched through his pockets. His gloved hand pulled out a crimped piece of paper, which he unfolded little by little.

"Who are you...?" his eyes never left the note as he read it over for the millionth time. Then he froze. Someone was close by. Sensing the presence of another being behind him, he folded the note and stuffed it in his pocket as he placed his hand on the handle of his dagger. Slowly, he drew out the dagger hidden beneath his belt as he waited facing his Black Ninja XRV until he could get in striking distance.

Jonathon crept quietly biting the nails of his left hand while holding the arm of a tattered teddy bear in his right. He kept walking without knowing what dangers awaited him. Just then, the dark figure turned into a striking position instantly causing the boy to stop in his tracks and drop his stuffed animal. Realizing that it was just a child, the teen stopped the dagger at the little boy's tiny neck before he nearly slashed his throat. Wildly, two adults came pouring out of the building's front door with their eyes wide with fear.

"Jonathon!" screamed the woman. She started towards her child when a man held her back in fear that the mysterious teen may hurt him. "Let me go! You sick son-of-a-btch, if you even put a scratch on him I swear!" She jumped as feisty as a cat as she struggled to be let loose from her husband's arms.

The teen's attention returned when he averted his eyes back to the fear filled child. He discovered that he still held the dagger beneath the little boy's chin. Taking a step back, he heard the woman's threats cease into sobs of relief.

"Hi mister," Jonathon looked up at the tall figure that towered before him with innocent eyes. He shifted his weight from foot to foot, swaying with an anticipating eagerness that's waiting to be freed from the small child and leap out at the figure before him.

The teen slid the dagger back into its hilt as he eyed the child carefully. "What do you want?" He ignored the beat that began to drum slightly in his skull and the veins began to pulse through his body.

"Nothing..." Jonathon clasped his hands behind his back and looked shyly towards the ground.

He peered through the dimly lit street at the two adults that waited impatiently for the outcome of the child's well being. He paused for a moment. Something seemed wrong, but he couldn't quite place it... "Go home." He turned back to his motorcycle to give it one last inspection before dragging it away to the nearest mechanic shop.

"But mister—

"Look kid," he faced the child once more. "I don't know what your deal is, but if it's money that you want this is all I got." He took out a wad of bills out of his back pocket and stuffed it in the boy's tiny hands.

"No, it's not that," he whimpered excitedly. "My parents, over there." He pointed behind him towards the front door where his parents stood dumbfounded. "They were yelling. I don't like it when they fight."

"And what does that have to do with me?" he replied uncaringly.

"Daddy says that you're going to help us," he told the teen. He bent down to pick up the stuffed animal and began to hug the teddy bear wrapping his short arms around the bear's limp limbs while stroking it's torn head.

"Really...?" he said unbelievingly. "And what am I suppose to do, huh? Pay bills? Get you out of Trion? What?"

Jonathon grew quiet. Why is he yelling at me...? He thought to himself. He looked over at his parents who kept their distance of the teen. They weren't aware of the danger that had passed and were trembling with dread. The teen nodded and inhaled before losing control. He glanced at the boy's parents before signaling for them to come pick up their child. The woman's tensed shoulders relaxed a bit as she and her husband stepped forward slowly. The beating in his head and the pulsing of his veins grew slightly with every step the couple took. The teen's turned his attention back to the motorcycle; it badly needed some gas and an oil change. The engine needed some repairs that neither his idle hands nor tools could fix. Just then, he heard the little boy squeal.

"What is it now?" he mumbled annoyingly. He turned to see the boy crying and rubbing away his tears with a fist.

"A- auntie E-edea..."

Suddenly the air was knocked out of the teen's lungs. He froze without breathing a single breath. "What... what did you say?" the boy wouldn't reply. His parents just looked strangely at the dark figure while gently shoving their son along. The silence drove him mad. "What the hell did you just say?" he screamed. He rushed towards the homeless family when he grabbed Jonathon by the shoulders and shook him mildly, "Tell me dammit!"

"What in the devil do you think you're doing? Let go of my son!" Cid screamed at the teen when punching him across the face. His knuckles cracked within contact with the teenager's cheekbone. The dark figure had lost balance and feel towards the ground when Cid kicked him hard. "You bastard!" was followed by another kick to the gut.

"Daddy, no! He might not help us," the little boy pleaded as his mother held him safely in her arms.

"What kind of monster are you? Shaking a child like that!" she yelled loudly at the teen that sat there in pain. A single ray of light shone down from the softly lit streetlamp where the teen stumbled to get up. He wiped off the streak of blood that dripped from the side of his lip. He turned around to face Hilda. He didn't respond as Hilda squinted through the shadows to see the stranger's face. He looked up with his sad expression bewildered. Then, something inside her snapped. There was something far too familiar with his burning eyes. It didn't take Hilda long to realize that she recognized those two pairs of gray-blue eyes. "Oh dear lord..." her eyes changed from an angered fiery to confusion. "Cloud?" Her eyes clouded with tears as her grip loosened around Jonathon.

"Cloud! Hah!" exclaimed the opposing Cid. "He died years ago! This is just some...some..." Then it was his turn. "Jesus... it's...is it...?" The teen was too still to react. How do they know my name? He wondered. He saw Cid gazing at his eyes when a look replaced his furrowed brows to unconceivable shock. "I-it is you!" he cried.

Cloud couldn't tell whether Cid was joyous or terrified by the tone of his voice. All he knows is that it was time for him to go. With a turn on his heel, Cloud walked back to his motorcycle when a shout halted him in his footsteps.

"Cloud! Where are you going?" It was Hilda.

"Aren't you going to help us?" whined Jonathon.

The teen was struck with dizziness. He needed to get out of there. He walked on and took off the breaks of his Black Ninja XRV in preparation of dragging his vehicle for the next few miles. The others were still frozen in their tracks as they watched him roll away down the dark street.

"Hilda, take Jonathon inside," Cid instructed his wife. She picked up her son when she spoke to him.

"Cid, is it possible...?" she asked worriedly.

"He was standing right in front of us wasn't he?" Cid replied. "But we can't know for sure. Just take Jonathon inside, I'll take care of him." He nodded in Cloud's direction putting his fists on his waist. Hilda paused for a moment. "Don't worry, I'll be fine," he reassured her. "I'll come back as soon as I can." He kissed his wife lovingly on the cheek, and then ruffled his son's hair. "Take care of your mama, sonny."

"Ok Daddy, I will," smiled Jonathon.

Cid looked down the street. Cloud was barely visible. Sighing, he mumbled, "This is going to be a long night..."  
  
**[Part 6]  
**  
The muscles in his biceps were pumping. Just his luck, he had to push a great mass of weight uphill. Cursing under his breath, he heaved the motorcycle forward. Just a little more... he thought as he reached the curving point of the hill. He parked the vehicle by a curb putting on the brakes when he spotted an old bench where he can rest. He wasn't sure where the next gas station was, and it could be a while until he spots one.

He leaned back against the bench ignoring the rough rustiness of its surface. Despite the cold weather, he could feel sweat pouring down the sides of his forehead. His head itched with drying sweat as he stared once again at the stars.

His mind wondered back to the old apartment building where he met the homeless family. Who are they...? He asked in his mind. And how do they know my name? Lost he was when his clear mind began to throb. His gloved hand shoved through his large pockets in search of a bottle of aspirin. All he could find was one gel tablet left from a pack of two Advil's that he'd use earlier. "Eh, good enough," he shrugged as he popped the pill into his mouth. Surprisingly, the outside coat of the gel cap turned out to be sweet. Cloud let the taste linger before letting it slide down his throat. The stars captured his thoughts again.

"Funny how ten years would go by and those things could still amaze you."

Cloud looked down to see Cid shuffling up the broken sidewalk. He nearly tripped over a tree root that stuck through a crack in the busted pavement. "You again? Didn't you beat me down enough?"

Cid laughed deep in his belly. He rubbed his beard as he watched the twinkling lights in the dark night sky. "That's no way to talk to your Uncle now, boy." Cloud's headache was victor against the Advil.

"What? No, no, no. You must be mistaken—

"Am I? Just tell me why you came back," Cid spat seriously. "Not everyday you see kids coming back to this dump here."

"I've never been here before."

"Never?" he asked. "You are Cloud aren't you?"

"How do you know my name?" he looked at the pudgy old man stoking his gray- specked beard.

"Look kiddo, I'm the one asking questions here," he began to pace with his hands in his pockets. Frosted air escaped his lips with every word that left his mouth. "Seems to me you don't quite get that this isn't a game."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Please! Like you're really here to take a trip down memory lane, or, or catch up with the Jerboa twins! You just want to make sure you're smooth sailing when it's all over, aren't you? Aren't you?" he screamed in his face.

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about!" Cloud got up with fury. "Look man, I came here to find out what the hell is going on in this place, not to talk to some psycho, all rite!"

"Fine, call me crazy. Anyone who'd talk to you would be. You are Cloud, right boy?"

"I said yes! Jeez!"

"Then who am I?" he exclaimed. That he could not answer. He just looked at the old man not giving into his torments. This is some kind of trick, he said to himself. Yeah, that's right, he's probably just after your money or something. Yet the sticky feeling deep within his throat wouldn't let it go.

"Hey! Where d' you think you're going, boy?" Cid hollered when Cloud unhooked his Black Ninja XRV from its brakes and began to roll away. "Don't think you can get off that easy!"

"Whatever old man! Your call!" Cloud was in no mood to argue. His body was feeling way off. Did he catch something on the way to Trion? The Advil didn't seem to help one bit as he dragged on. Looking behind him, he saw Cid stalking close by. "Still here!" he asked unbelieving.

"You said it was my call," Cid smirked.

"That's not what I meant dumb ass..." he whispered.

"I'm not leaving you alone 'til you tell me what's going on," he said. "So you best start spilling because I got a wife and kid to look after."

"Excuse me? You're asking me what's going on?" he shook his head in nonsense. Just then, he nearly leaped with joy. Just a block away was a gas station that was still open. Only one car was parked in front of the pump. Besides the cashier worker, it was deserted. "Perfect," the teen said out loud. He'd rather not bump into any more psychotic hobos. The two walked without talking, for the night had dropped to cautious temperatures. Cloud pulled the motorcycle up to the curb in front of the gas station. By then the single car had gone and two more had entered the scene.

"Hey! You there!" Cloud looked up to see a man in his early twenties walking towards him. He was wearing a button down shirt covered with a black jacket bearing the name Vincent written in cursive on the sown in nametag. He nodded towards the motorcycle. "Is this baby yours?"

"Yeah," Cloud answered.

"Hmm... Black Ninja XRV," he said checking out the vehicle. "Nice. I hadn't seen one in years."

"I need some repairs done on it," Cloud said. "Oil needs changing, gas needs refueling, engine's starting to have some kinks in it too."

"Trust me, I've seen worse," he chuckled. "My shift's about to start. Why don't you go warm up inside, I'll take care of those kinks for you."

Cloud felt relieved almost too soon. He looked over his shoulder for any signs of the homeless father to see that he was still stalking him through the streets of Trion. "Damn it," he scowled. He left Vincent to do the fixing and walked over to the man. "All right, let's talk."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**[Part 7]**

They were sitting in a booth by the window where Cloud could keep an eye on the mechanic's work. The table was made of wood slopped in spilled sodas and greasy food. The chair wasn't comfortable either. Cloud shifted in his seat that was too lumpy for comfort. He eyed the old man who was sipping his coffee while warming his hands on the cup.

"Who are you?" The old man looked up from the thin fog of warmth coming from the foam cup.

"That's what I was about to ask you," Cid said. "But it seems like there's something wrong."

"What do you mean?" Cloud asked.

"You're Cloud. We know that. Even you said it was true," he paused to take a sip of coffee. "But what I don't understand is how you don't fit in with the whole Cloud role. Like how come you've never been here, or how do you not know who I am..."

"I am Cloud. But not the Cloud you're talking about," Cloud drunk his hot chocolate watching the mechanic fill the motorcycle with new oil through the windows of the garage.

"Is that so...?"

"Look, I don't know what's going on, but I was told that something happened here," Cloud explained agitated. "Something involving some girl named...Edea Matron." Cid dropped his cup splattering the contents of his coffee atop the wooden table. He cleared his throat from choking on the coffee turning red from coughing.  
"Are you...ok?" Cid regained his composure wiping his lips with his old handkerchief.  
"Edea Matron!" he spat. "And you said you're not Cloud!"  
"Do I... know her?"  
"Edea Matron?" he yelled. "Of course you know her! And if you know her than that means you are Cloud!" Cloud sat in silence.

The cashier came over to the booth. "Everything ok here?" Cid nodded at the man with a scolding look on his face. "This ain't no social club, it's a business, so either shut your traps or get outta my station." He eyed them once more after hearing the door ring with an incoming customer, which he then walked away to attend.

"There's no way...you can't know who I am..." was all Cloud could breath out.

"Do you even know who _you_ are?" Cid looked straight at him. The mechanic was now working on the engine. He seemed to be having a bit of difficulty with fixing it.

"I'm... I'm going to help..." Cloud pointed to Vincent. He had some trouble breathing and he really needed some air. "I'll be back."

"Wait! But we're not— The ringing bell of the front door where Cloud stormed out quieted Cid. He watched the teen walk towards the mechanic. He could see the teenager's forehead crinkle with troubles. "Who _are_ you Cloud?"  
  
**[Part 8]**  
  
_So it's true_, Cloud thought to himself. _I'm connected to Trion... to Edea Matron... but how?_ Cloud opened the smudged glass door into the garage where Vincent was working on his Black Ninja XRV. He didn't seem to have much trouble with it as he worked idly with his wrench.

"Sup. How's she doing?"

Vincent looked up and smiled. "She's better. You've got a fine piece of work here."

"Yeah."

Vincent glanced at Cloud who was staring at the gas station's diner where an old man sat. He was drinking a new cup of coffee and watching a football game on the small television screen in the corner of the register's ceiling. The cashier cheered loudly. "Must be a touchdown. He's rooting for the Besaid Aurochs this year. Been making a whole lot of money for it." Cloud didn't reply. He just stared off into space lost in his thoughts. "Uh, is something wrong?"

Finally he snapped back to reality. "What? Oh..." he sighed heavily rubbing his temples. "You got any aspirin? This headache's killing me."

"Oh yeah, it's over there by the binders. You see that white bottle?" Cloud walked over to a counter cluttered with paperwork and binders filled with multicolored paper stuffed into its rings. "Just a headache?" he laughed. "I thought something was up with you for a sec there."

"There is actually." Vincent stopped turning the wrench and wiped the beads of sweat forming above his brow. "Sorry man, what's going on?"

"Would you think I'm crazy...if I said I'm connected to this city, but I don't even know why?" Cloud looked at Vincent who was puzzled.

"Dude, you do not make any sense," he friendly joked.

Cloud laughed half-heartedly. "It's just that... yesterday, I was living this whole life not knowing what truly happened half of it." Vincent had finished repairing the engine and was listening fully now. "Seventeen years, I had no idea... and now I'm here."

"Where'd you come from?"

"I live, or used to live, in the Galbadia military camp. I'd been training ever since my father signed me up for it."

"Galbadia! Good lord," Vincent hollered. "You came a long way man! What's the deal? Why'd you come to Trion?"

"A letter," Cloud replied. "There's something going on here, and somehow it's connected to me, but I haven't found much. I just got here a few hours ago when my bike was breaking down. I ended up meeting this homeless family."

"You talking about Sir Stalk A Lot?" he chuckled at Cid who sat at the booth by himself. A child was bothering him while his mother paid for gas.

"He stalked you too?" Cloud shook his head. "I wish I could say he was just some crazy fool, but I can't. He knows me, he knows who I am, and why I'm here."

"Maybe you're from here," Cloud looked at Vincent who was cleansing his hand in a small sink next to the counter. Drying off his hands, he said, "Well, it makes sense. You don't seem to know about your past life, maybe you were from around here. Did someone you use to know send that letter from Trion?"

"No, I'm not from here, that'd be impossible. And it...wasn't signed. So I don't know who could've sent it, but they said something about Trion and some girl," Cloud leaned against a pole putting his hands in his pockets. It was chilly in the garage for it wasn't sealed completely shut and there was no heater to heat the place up.

"Oh, girl?" Vincent's eyebrows shot up. "I see, so some childhood sweetheart found you and wanted you to come here..."

"Yeah right, I wish," he said sadly.

"How's a good looking dude like you not have a girl yet?"

"I got my reasons," he told him.

"Tough guy, go figure, it's your attitude man!" Vincent said. "I mean you're cool and all, but you got this atmosphere thing going on around you." Cloud looked at him skeptically. "Yeah, well Cid's got his hands full with women."

"Cid?" Cloud asked.

"The hopeless homeless oldie over there," he pointed to Cid waiting. "He's got his wife to look after, but he's still searching for his sis."

"Who cares? She probably ran away from his psychotic illness."

"Yeah, well, from what I hear, she's been missing for six months and there's no trace of her," Vincent sat on a stool when Cloud suddenly gasped. "What now?"

"No way..." Cloud dug through his pockets and pulled out the letter. _"...Six months..."_ He froze within his thoughts. "Did you say six months...?"

"Yes, do you know his sister by any chance?"

"I'm not—

"Jesus, we're being robbed!" Vincent ran towards the window pressing his hands against the glass as he looked at the station's register. Cloud saw Cid standing with his hands behind his head. Fear crossed the cashier's face. Cloud would've smiled if Cid weren't in there with the ruthless cashier. "There goes my next paycheck."

"Let's go," Cloud walked to the door.

"Ah, don't worry about it. Happens all the time." Vincent stood there and watched as four people robbed the gas station's diner.

"Do they kill?"

"Only if you go against them."

"Perfect." Cloud walked out of the garage and slyly walked crouched down towards the diner. He could hear Vincent crying out for him to stop faintly, but ignored it. Cid was his only connection, aside from his family, and he needed him alive. The gas station was deserted. There was still one car parked next to one of the gas pumps, but whomever it belongs to was probably held hostage in the diner also. Vincent stayed behind watching Cloud's every move, but didn't budge to help.

Cloud reached the gas station's diner and leaned back against the cement walls. The sharp texture carved his skin as he made his way to the diner's entrance. He bent down low to avoid being seen through the windows. He leaned between a coke stand and an ice refrigerator as he swiftly peeked inside. He sat as he skillfully devised a plan of action quickly in his mind. Each robber that stood inside the diner was dressed in black with a red wolf painted on a piece of white cloth tied onto one of their arms. _Must be a gang_, Cloud thought. He took a short glance once more. One was a woman that held the sobbing cashier at gunpoint with a rifle as he watched a man with brass knuckles empty out his register. Another man with long knives attended Cid while the last that had an electric shocker kept watch over a couple that laid flat on the ground. _A shooter, a shocker, a carver, and, of course, the idiot,_ Cloud smirked. "This should be easy." He inched towards the door unbuttoning the leather strap that held in his gun around his ankle. He stuffed it into his pocket opposite from his dagger as he made his way passed the door. He made sure he was seen.  
  
**[Part 9]**

"Irvine!" cried the woman. "Someone's out there!" She looked panicked at Irvine, the man with the brass knuckles.

"Shut up, bitch," he spat at her. "Don't be looking anywhere else but at this mother fucker." He yanked the cashier's hair and smashed his head against the edge of the counter breaking skin. Blood poured from the wound as he wept. "Ah quit your goddamn whining bozo, we'll be way out of here before you can call your mommy." Putting the torments on hold, Irvine continued clearing the register.

"But Irvine, I swear—

"I said shut up!" Irvine stepped over the cashier to the woman. He grasped her by the neck and shoved her until her back slammed onto the wall. "One more word out of you, you fucking little whore, I'll beat your damn brains out!"

He barely let out the last word when the lights were turned off. Everyone panicked, except Cid, who took the opportunity to run to the door and escape. The door had been locked, slowing him down as he struggled to find the lock. "Ugh!" he cried as someone skit his arm. The man dragged Cid back to the booth he sat at earlier with Cloud and parked him down. He held the knife at his throat tight enough so that one little move would tear the skin of his throat.

"Shit!" Irvine let go of the woman's neck. "Well? What are you waiting for, damn it! Go check it out!"

"Me? I can't Irvine!" she gripped her rifle close to her.

Irvine stepped towards the woman. "Selphie, either you get your whiny ass out there right now or you go down with this fool." He said towards the dark figure squirming on the ground. "Now go!"

Selphie hesitated when Irvine was about to slap her. She ran towards the door unlocking it before she stepped out into the wintry cold. Meanwhile, Cloud peered from behind a wall and saw Vincent sneak around the back alley of the diner as Selphie made her way out the door. Being that the power was out, not even Cloud could see who walked in the shadows. Shivers ran down her spine as she placed her finger on the trigger of her rifle. She stepped softly crunching the dead leaves whirling in small tornadoes on the ground. She held her rifle up as she stepped quietly. She wasn't sure what was louder, her heart beating, or her crying. She turned to see whether she had backup, but the others were safely inside.

Cloud waited by the power box where the switch for the lights and all electric appliances was turned off. He looked around the wall again as he saw a shadow cast its way down in his direction. He placed his hand on his gun when he saw it was a woman. He let go of his gun when he decided to go with the dagger instead. Selphie stepped forward slowly. "Ah!" she screamed when something grazed her shoulder. She turned to see that it was only a leaf falling from the gutter of the diner. Her heart was racing at an immense rate, she breathed hard to get control of herself. Suddenly something else touched her arm. It was Cloud.

He took the rifle and disarmed it in seconds throwing the parts over the ground while launching the bullets into a nearby trash dump. A clinging sound rung as the bullets hit the metal sides causing Selphie to cover her ears in fright. Cloud watched her carefully with furrowed brows. Giving her a baffled, but cautious, look, he turned at the sound of a snapping twig where Vincent was slowly walking from.

"Please! Don't hurt me, please," she pleaded through her hiccups with eyes telling no lies. She was scared to death. Cloud covered her mouth with his hand to quiet her.

Grasping the white cloth tied around her arm, he ripped it off and threw it out of sight when he whispered, "You're a victim, understand?" He nudged his chin over her shoulder at Vincent's approaching figure. Understanding his lead, she nodded.

Vincent came and turned on a flashlight, pointing it to the pair. "Hey, you ok man?"

"Yeah," Cloud replied.

He looked back at the young woman, which Vincent shifted his flashlight to. He noticed the bruising on her flushed cheeks. "Aw man, are you all right, Miss?" he asked dumbfound and worriedly.  
  
Selphie opened her mouth to answer, but nothing came out. She looked at the teenager for assistance, and he told him, "Vincent, watch her. You stay quiet." She nodded at Cloud who slipped out his dagger. He hadn't needed it earlier as he thought he would, but now it may not be enough.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**  
  
**[Part 10]**  
  
"What the hell is taking her so long?" Irvine said through his teeth. He was impatient and wanted to hear some news from Selphie. He glanced up at a sound glad to finally be able to get some news from Selphie.

The doorbell rang as a dark figure stepped in. The lights went back on as if on cue blinding the robbers. Cloud kept his gun pointed at the two men while his dominant right hand was prepared to throw the dagger. "Eh, eh, eh," he shook his head. "You move you're dead. He moves you're dead. Both ways I win, so what's it gonna be?"

"Think you're smart little man?" Irvine stepped forward.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Cloud threatened as he flipped the dagger with the handle pointing upward holding it by the tip. "Who wants to go first?" Something dropped onto the ground shattering on the floor stealing Cloud's attention for just a second.

"Too slow junior."

A hard thud shoved against Cloud's abdomen knocking the air out of his lungs. He flew backwards crashing through the glass door onto the rough pavement scraping tender skin off his bare arms. He cleared his face of broken bits of glass and saw Vincent begin walking towards him. Cloud held up his hand to stop him from entering a danger zone. _No way this guy's human..._he thought as he watched the grinning Irvine stepped through the doorframe.

"So, I guess you're the first that's going to go."

"I don't think so." _Where's my gun?_ Cloud searched the ground as Irvine approached him. _My dagger!_ He yelped in his mind as he somersaulted towards the knife and threw it expertly at Irvine's stomach. He fell down on one knee as Cloud ran towards him. He jump-kicked him right in the jaw as he brought back his arm gathering as much energy as he could to put into a punch in the face. Irvine's head bashed against the hard ground rendering him unconscious while Cloud pulled out his dagger.

Taking a cloth, he wiped the blood off and dropped it onto his face as a souvenir when he awakens. "Who's next?" The two others weren't as powerful as Irvine, he could tell, and they shook in their boots dropping all weapons and the duffel bag containing all the money. "Still here!" The two jumped at his stern voice and fled the crime scene. Cloud found his gun at last and placed it back in its leather pouch when he heard a woman cry out with terror.

"Oh my god!" she ran towards him checking his pulse. "Is he dead?"

"No, just knocked out. He's got a small wound right there." Cloud pointed to where his dagger had pierced Irvine's skin. She took the cloth and held it over the wound heavily.

"This...this is all my fault isn't it?" tears streamed from her eyes with her words blurred through hiccups. "I can't...I can't do anything right!"

"What are you talking about?" Vincent questioned with confusion.

Cloud caught Selphie's flaw just in time and stepped in again. "Hey man, could you check on the cashier guy? His head's pretty busted…"

"Oh yeah," the dark haired young man replied quickly. Forgetting his puzzlement, he sprinted back into the diner to check on the injured worker.

Cloud heaved a sigh as he walked into the diner also. "Hey you two." The couple still lay on the bare ground inside the diner with their hands on their heads. They looked up at him with frightened stares. "It's over, you can go home now. Go on, get out of here." They ran out to their car driving away. "Cid?"

"Good show," he motioned at Irvine. "Knocked him out cold." He walked to the back of the counter where the cashier laid. Vincent was busy taking care of what he could for the head wound, and Cloud took advantage of the opportunity to go speak to the young woman.

"You," he said pointing to Cid. "Stay here."

"Yeesh, don't gotta be so damn haughty 'bout it ya know," the old man spat grumpily.

Cloud made his way out of the diner and towards the young woman. "What's your name?" The woman turned her head. He saw the bruises on her neck were more swelled than the ones on her cheek.

"Selphie."

"Selphie?" Cloud repeated. "Listen, the rest of us have to leave. We need you to stay here and watch him."

"What? Why? Where are you going?" she bombarded them with questions.

"It's cause of that," he pointed to the red wolf symbol on Irvine's arm. "You're in that gang right?" She nodded. "That means those two idiots that ran off are bound to tell your people. More are going to come, you should know that." She nodded again.

With nothing more to say, he walked towards the garage. "Thank you!" He turned to see a surprise. Selphie smiled at him.

"Thanks, for what? I nearly murdered your boyfriend."

"He's not my boyfriend... it's just that what we were doing tonight..." she began. "Someone could've been killed or hurt..."

"Let me ask you this. Why are you working for them?"

"I..." She stopped. "It's a long story..." She rubbed her neck flinching at the soreness.

_We definitely don't have time for it._ With an exasperated sigh, Cloud approached her. "Let me make this short and simple. You're dealing with the wrong people, and you're going to get killed for it one day. Those gang bitches don't know from right and wrong, they don't take shit from good people. Good people like you." She looked up in fear. "You're clean, you don't belong in a place like that, so get out while you can."

"But how?" she blurted out. "The Reds are everywhere! They have spotters on the border lines so that none of us will escape without letting our Master know!"

Cloud sighed even more. "You gotta be kidding me… Look, we don't got much time left, you're people are coming and we need to get out of here."

Vincent came out of the diner carrying the cashier outside and laid him on the ground beside the unconscious robber, followed by a muted Cid.

"Vincent? You got a place?" Cloud yelled to him.

"Yeah, just down the corner off Briardale Boulevard. Need a place to crash?" Vincent offered.

"Not me, her." Selphie's mouth hung open. Cloud approached her and whispered loud enough so that only she could hear, "You're still the victim, understand?" He looked at her with an intense gaze and Selphie stared back with teary eyes. "Don't let Vincent know who you're associated with. I need him to protect you until I get back."

"Get back…?" she whispered.

Cloud cringed. _Why do I feel like I'm going to regret this? _"If… damn it… If you're still alive when I get back, I'll get you out of here. They wouldn't try anything."

Selphie opened her mouth but shut it, not knowing how to take the news. Vincent walked up to them, and Cloud gave her a look that made her contain her hopeful happiness.

"What are we going to do with these guys?" Vincent asked.

" We can leave him here." He nodded towards the still body that still lay asleep. "But take that cashier with you, chicken wuss is bound to get himself kidnapped once they get here."

"What about you and Cid?" Cloud caught Cid's eye.

"We got some things to talk about. We'll be fine. You guys should head off, they'll be back soon."

"All right, but if you need a place you know where to find me."

"Yeah."

Vincent turned to Selphie. "I guess you're coming with me then?" She nodded. The young man smiled. "Ok, let's go." Vincent pulled the cashier from the ground and carried him on his back as Selphie walked with them down the dark street.

Cloud and Cid stood in silence until they were out of sight. "You sure he'll live?"

"Who cares?" Cloud shrugged.

"He's a human being you know!"

"Oh, sorry," he replied sarcastically. "I don't remember the part where that's my problem."

"Still cold like an icicle..."

"Whatever, old man," Cloud walked away. "I got a bike to ride."

"I thought you said you wanted to talk."

"I didn't say I wanted to. I said we have to."

"Same thing," Cid stalked him to the garage.

Cloud inspected his Bike as he dragged it towards the door.

"We need to discuss this issue, not let it go."

"Well don't you sound attorney like. No interrogations, I'm through here." Cloud pulled up to a gas pump and pressed the multicolored keypad to select his options.

"At least tell me why you're here."

No answer.

"How do you know Edea Matron?" _Ah, struck a nerve,_ Cid thought slyly when Cloud stiffened.

"I don't."

"You really lost it boy," he chuckled sarcastically. "You realize by now you got some amnesia in your head."

"Sure thing pop, I just woke up one morning and decided to drive sixty thousand miles to Trion to impersonate some loser name Cloud. Nothing to it," he said putting the pump into the bike. He watched the meter to see when he must stop. _Good thing that cashier dumb ass is gone_, Cloud thought as he watched the meter increase with unpaid gas.

"Quit playing games, it's time to get serious," he told the teen. "Either you've been lying right under my nose or you really do have amnesia. You wouldn't be so confused if you didn't."

Cloud pulled out the pump before the gas tank overflowed. He places it back onto the pump stand as he screwed back on the tank's cap. "And if I do? What about it?" He didn't feel like going into his past history. He knew what it was, and it never took place here.

"Now you're talking," Cid grinned half-heartedly. "I've got something I want to show you."

"What?"

"Edea's home."  
  
**[Part 11]  
**  
"Are we there yet?" Cloud whined for the millionth time. He'd been traveling all day, had to drag his Black Ninja XRV for hours, and fought with gang robbers. He was in no mood to be out in the freezing cold with a psychotic man.

"Quite the complainer," Cid cackled. "She was too you know."

"Who?"

"Who else?"

They walked on down Tapioca Avenue passed a rusted bicycle rack when Cid stopped to look at a wrecked apartment building. "We're here." Cloud parked his bike on the side of the road. His headache had returned, and the sight of the building wasn't helping either. "Another one? You see, it's the amnesia, you can't deny it."

"Are we going in or not?" Cloud asked annoyed.

He climbed off his bike with tired muscles as he stepped onto the curb. The building looked awful. It was only seven stories tall, but the upper floor looked torn down. There wasn't a roof, just jagged poles of wood stuck out sharp towards the night sky. Almost all the windows were smashed and only torn pieces of curtain that hung on to the glass were all that were left of them. An abandoned kitten sat with its rubbish meal atop an open window frame while a dog wandered in and out of the basement's underground door. The brick walls were scuffed black with burnt coal with evidence of a fire from long ago. Trash was littered around the building's surroundings with a stench that tickled Cloud's nose. He cringed in disgust aside from his body's nuisances towards the building.

Cid led the way as two dark figures made their way up the stone steps to a toppled door that stood before them blocking the main entrance to the building. With a weak attempt, Cid pried the door that screeched like a baby's cry for milk to reveal a swallowing hole of darkness. Cloud stepped in, seeing soft glows of light coming from the far corners of the apartment's first floor. He looked around sensing hidden life forms all around him. Besides the hallway lamps that had not yet been shattered, it was almost pitch black inside the building's interior. Cloud dug for a mini flashlight that he fortunately found in his pack using it as their guide through the maze of wrecked hallways.

Cid walked ahead nearly tripping over a chair that was missing a leg as he headed for the staircase located to the left of the entrance. Each of the stairway's steps groaned faintly except for the ones that weren't there. "Careful, you might hurt your self," Cid called down to the teen.

"Please, this is nothing," he replied. He leaned against the wall for support accidentally grazing something slimy on the way.

"Hmm, I believe it was the fourth floor..." the old man murmured.

Cloud stopped in his tracks. "You don't even know which floor it's on!"

The building came to life at that moment. Cloud sensed the life forms nearby stir in their corners. "What's wrong with you?" Cid spat on a low volume. "You want to just wake up the whole neighborhood?" With the shake of his head, he walked on with each step squeaking unstably. They climbed at the speed of a snail for safety measures until they reached the apartment's fourth floor. On the way, they accidentally kicked a mysterious stranger lying face down on the floor. He stunk of smoke and alcohol from his filmy clothing. He grumbled something that was too muffled to be understood.

"So...this is where Edea lives?" Cloud eyed the stairway peaking into hallways as he was shown another dirty hallway. Unknown homeless people were scattered about the hallways while most of the families were hiding in the rooms. There were so many, yet it was quiet.

"Used to. She lived here for a while until she went to live with a friend," Cid stuck the flashlight into his pocket as he grabbed onto the railing to jump long in order to avoid falling into another hole. "She had to move out when this place got trashed... when _you_ disappeared." He pulled out his flashlight and began moving again.

"What?" Cloud nearly fell over when he regained control and got back on balance. His mouth opened but a pleased Cid cut off his words.

"Ah, this should be it," Cid told Cloud over his shoulder that had stayed quiet. Through the unlit stairway, not even Cid could see that Cloud's face was dripping in sweat. He didn't have asthma, but it sure felt like it at that moment. Something was happening to him, he figured, but he pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind until everything settled down first.  
  
Cid stopped, checking out the hallway with the flashlight. It was small and stuffy from the dust floating in the air. The cracks in the walls and missing fragments from the floor made the building unwelcoming. "Watch out now," Cid grunted as he hopped over the sixth hole they'd jumped in the passed five minutes. Cloud jumped over easily but the ground vibrated under his feet. He looked down puzzled as Cid shone the light on the floor beneath the teen to see the cracks surrounding him expanded. "Shit! Move!" Cloud ordered the plump old man as he unsuccessfully leaped out of harm's way.

The ground fell below his body that did not move quick enough to avoid falling. Cid grabbed the teenager's hand while he grasped a pipe bar sticking out from underneath the floor's surface. "Pull me up! Hurry!" Cloud cried as his hand slipped from the bar causing Cid's grip to loosen.

"Cloud! I can't hold on much longer!" Cid said through his gritted teeth. He bit his lip as he struggled to pull up the heavy body.

"No! Cloud!" Cid could feel the teen's hand slipping when finally it slid out of his grasp completely, causing him to watch a body crash through the third story beneath him. The old man was paralyzed in shock as he tried to search for the body that fell through two stories into a threatening emptiness.  
  
**[Part 12]**  
  
_She finally stopped weeping. Mother earth's skies were blue again; it was a sunny afternoon and the first that they had in days. Streams of dripping water left white streaks upon his windows while puddles seem to melt into the pavements of Tapioca Avenue. Rays of warmth shone through beaded curtains burning into his ice blue eyes. Closing them, he could see spots of blue and purple run in a shadowed darkness behind his eyelids. He opened them again looking through the strings of plastic multicolored beads to see a group of teenagers wandering about in a small group. Money was traded for drugs as dealers distributed them to zombie-like beings that wobbled away with retarded smiles. _

_He sighed heavily unaware of her presence. "Hey you." He turned to see her. She had just gotten up from bed and climbed onto the couch sleepily next to him. He noticed that she hadn't washed off the black mascara left on her eyelashes or smeared blush on the apples of her cheeks from the night before. Her clothes were awfully ruffled and her head was slopped with a tangled nest of brownish black silk strands of hair. _

_"You look yucky," he said sadly. _

_"Why, thank you," she laughed weakly. "You're looking pretty fine yourself. Now stop sitting here, you're turning into mush." He stared back out the window, the teens were now scattered about going their ways. They passed Miss Helena who was making her way down Tapioca Avenue in her usual moth eaten winter coat and wool hat unaware of the rising temperatures outside. She was pushing along her cart full of Trion's wondrous junk from all over the city's streets, or what she also calls her most valued possessions. He glanced at the clock. She was right on time, same as yesterday, the day before, and the day before that. There was only one day that he hadn't seen her come, and that was when she fell down the stairs one rainy night and received a sprain for a few weeks. _

_"Well, isn't Miss Helena looking fine today?" she said with a small grin. She looked at him disappointingly. "You know, the Jerboa twins should be out soon, why don't you fix yourself up a little bit and go out and play later?" She was referring to the twins, Yuffie and Zell, from the fourth floor. They weren't identical, but they were definitely related. Both had the same eyes, grayish brown that often changes color depending on the weather along with a rambunctious attitude that screamed for action and adventure. _

_"But they're grounded," he said. Unlike the other kids around Trion, those two were one of the good ones. Of course, that came into question when they nearly chopped off the head of a passerby from Carbora. They'd been playing agents on a mission to save the great "Mount Tapioca" from evil invaders of the bordering "countries," Carbora Boulevard and Havana Lane. _

_"By those parents?" she said unbelieving. "Not a chance in hell. Now go, you've got a tan to last you a decade." She pushed him off the couch and shooed him away with her waving hands. She flopped her feet onto the couch and laid back to recover from her restless night. _

_He left her in peace to catch up on some sleep when he stopped in front of a bathroom. The door was left wide open, and in front of him was a portrait unfamiliar to him. He stretched his neck forward squinting with his ice blue eyes as he stepped lightly onto the bare floors to stare at a little boy gleaming with sweat. His eyes were rimmed with red; its white surface was plagued with crimson veins pulsating towards his beating temples. He was a monster. A child deprived of innocence was standing before him with a sinister gaze of pure malevolence. He was terrified of the live portrait hanging against the wall before him. He screamed. A deafening silence discharged from his hoarse throat. _

_A wave of aching soreness swept throughout his body vibrating in his bones. Boulders from within began crushing his skull as his heart began to slow down. His hand twitched uncontrollably as he gripped his shirt digging his fingers into his chest. An emerging pain expanded in his lungs as he fought for a breath of air. He fell down onto his knees, his scuffed shins burning with scraped skin, coughing out stomach acid melting away his esophagus. He felt the need to throw up just then, with an empty stomach. In place of its emptiness were sickening spots of deep red that was spitting out, sliding down his tongue making way for his lips. He screamed, but not a single soul could hear.  
His screams were hushed in blood.  
_  
Cid jumped at the broken silence falling back against a decrepit oak table knocking over a glass lamp. It's smooth surface shattered into pieces with a cracked bell ringing in his ears. He gasped horrendously at the teenager that screamed to a wake. He rolled onto the edge of his heel with his eyes traveling over Cloud.

The endless pit of blackness had been far too quiet after the death-defying fall taken by the young teen. Cid was drained of all sense and laid by the edge petrified of reality. Suddenly he snapped out of his dream state when he realized that Cloud could be hanging on thinly to his life. Cid had gotten up, his back throbbing with pain even worse than when he first woke up earlier that night. He ignored the sharp pangs thrashing his spine as he immediately ran down the numerous flights of steps.

The staircase on the third floor was more dilapidated than he thought, which he realized when he had slammed down too roughly on a weak step causing his leg to fall through and slash open right below his left thigh. He finally came down to the second floor where Cloud laid unconscious. Searching the rooms, he spotted the teen atop a pile of rubble covered in sawdust and debris from the floors above him.

Cid waited leaning back against the oak table. "Cloud...? You ok, sonny?" He watched as Cloud, wide eyed and staring up the pit he had fallen through, get a hold of his body's state of shock. He sat up slowly flabbergasted. He flinched harshly though, for on his shoulder, a large wooden splinter was engraved through his shoulder blades with a deep shade of red gushing through the torn flesh. "Jesus..." Cid was too shocked at the sharp spike sticking out from the teen's slit skin.

"What...what h-happened..."? Cloud moaned as he placed his hand on top of the piece of wood. "Ah!" his horrific pain was shouted through his lungs.

"Now, now, don't touch it," Cid told him. "I'll try to pull it out..." He placed his chubby fingers slightly on the spike; its moving vibration caused a shriek even more terrifying to sound in the plump man's ears. He sat back not knowing what he must do. "Somebody help! Is there a doctor 'round here?" he yelled. He looked to see that the door was barricaded with residents of the building wanting to see what was causing all the commotion. "Well! What are y'all standing around for? Somebody get you're as in here and help me!"

Cloud lay on the ground with his teeth grinding. The pain was immense as it thundered through his pulsating veins. Each breath took him closer to insanity. He squeezed his eyes shut as he was hit with déjà vu. "No..." He finally opened his eyes to see a deserted apartment room. "No, it can't be..." Cloud shook his head slightly as he sensed familiarity through the burnt charcoal smothered against the torn wallpaper.

"What?" Cid asked. "Something wrong?"

"This place..." Cloud looked around the room.

Most of the furniture was taken out, but what was left was fallen all over the place. The place was burnt crisp with a fire revealed to have taken place long ago, but its damage aided in aging the room's health far worse than all the other apartment rooms he'd seen earlier that night. Cid couldn't figure out the problem. _Unless this room is..._he dismissed the thought when a weak glimmer of light stole his attention from the ground. He walked over to the sparkle and bent down to pick it up. It was an old picture frame he noticed with smashed glass. The glass had too many cracks covered with dust to get a clear image beneath the photo's cover. Through the rough exterior shielding the picture, a blurred portrait of a teenager and a child could be made out. _Well I'll be damned.._. He suddenly thought. _He landed right in Edea's room!_

Cloud was eyeing the room inch by inch. _This place...that dream...could it be...?_ He thought to himself. He was in denial as he tried to make sense of his confusion. The people were crowding in now. They held their lamps and candles standing close enough to see what was going on, but they stood too far for him to understand their whispered murmurs. Their image began to blur.

"Not again!" Cloud scolded his headache. His skull ached with the sledgehammer that refused to stand down. He tried to massage his temples, but his hand was soaked. He looked down to see a sickening scarlet hand gleaming with fresh blood, his blood. He felt the acid stir in his stomach as he threw up all over the pile of rubble.

"Cloud!" Cid ran over to the teen's side dropping the picture frame beside him. He put his flabby arms lightly on the teenager's shoulders. Cloud was coughing blood, but with each cough the spike seemed to dig deeper into his wound. "Hey kid, you're going to be okay, all right?" Cid patted his cheeks roughly to get his attention. "Hey, you hear me? Listen to me! No, don't pass out! Listen to me! Cloud!"

The residents began to be frightened for the body lying before them seemed to go limp. A child's cry shot through his migraine, causing Cloud to snap back into consciousness and the crowd to cry out in shock. Cid sat silently as Cloud's eyes wandered and fell on top of the picture frame. The broken glass lay out of its wooden edges revealing a picture of a young girl and child. Suddenly, he nearly fainted again.

"No... No!" Cloud screamed through his tears. He pushed Cid by the chest but couldn't ignore the roaring flame burning in his shoulder blades.

"Jeez, what the hell's the matter with you!" the old man spat. Cloud took a deep breath before lunging for the picture frame. "Ah, son of a bitch, fuck!" he yelled after his agonizing fall. The picture frame was right next to his hand. He had it in his grasp brushing away the pieces of crystal gems with a clinking sound of raindrops on the floor only to wail in disbelief. The residents gasped at the stranger, the children ran behind the adults hiding beside their legs. He threw the picture frame at them causing them to back off as they watched him tug with much force on his blonde hair.

"Cloud, what's wrong with you!" Cid tried to crawl over to the teen, but he backed towards the windowsill. "Be careful, now, you're making that bust of yours worse!" he pointed towards his shoulder blade that was hidden beneath his blood soaked clothing.

"Stay away from me..." he muttered vengefully at the man. "Don't fucking mess with me! I said stay away goddamn it!" He found an empty bottle covered in dust, its contents dried with a sticky layer filling its walls, and flung it at the plump man who ducked in time to avoid the crashing bottle cut through his face. He couldn't say anything to the boy. He had gone mad.

He watched as Cloud backed all the way until his arm graced the wall behind him. He placed his hand on the windowsill using it as support as he pushed himself upward while coughing out more blood. He toppled over hurtling through what's left of the glass on the burnt window. His hand roughly tugged him back because it was tangled in something hanging on the windowsill. Cid inched forward blocking out the cries of the people who wouldn't leave the scene. He had the urge to throw something at them also, but couldn't leave Cloud out of his sight.

Cloud pulled the tangled mess off his hand and looked closely at it. Realizing what it was, his eyes widened as his gripping fingers dug into his palm. His knuckles turned white under his gloves from his tight fist as he punched the wall beside him unleashing his confused rage. Plucking it off the window, he tied it to his wrist as he stumbled across the room letting Cid carry him this time. He wasn't sure if he was ready for it, but he had to see it.

The crowd shrunk out of the door with the passing teen. "Wait, stop...here..." Cloud whispered faintly. Cid held his waist locking the teen's arm over his neck. The boy leaned against him as he weakly pushed the door open. Cid picked out a mini flashlight from his pocket and turned it on. Something shone brightly into their eyes, but Cloud's vision cleared to be revealed to a nightmare. "It's... here," he said feebly.

"What is?" Cid asked. He was at the boy's side while he fell to his knees. "Is it that headache of yours acting up again? That fall must've made it worse or something."

"It's... he was here..." Cloud spat out a gulp of blood putting a look of disgust on Cid's face. He looked up into the bathroom only to see a reflection of himself. He scratched his head lost with puzzlement.

"Kiddo, it's just a mirror, nobody's in there," Cid told him. "Now come on, I got to take you to the doc's office soon or you're one hell of a goner, got it? Get up, come on, get your stinking as up." The teen was struggling and gave up. "Let's go damn it! Do you wanna die here?" He pulled Cloud from the ground and froze. He was horrified to see someone familiar in his eyes.

"Stay away from the boy," the voice was rough and harsh. "It draws near." He shoved him off forcefully and walked off. Cid was planted on his bottom petrified once again of the cruel reality he must face.

"You're...still alive?" Cloud's possessor didn't turn around, but stopped in his tracks. "Answer me you sorry bastard, what the hell are you doing—

He was cut off as Cloud faced him his hands glowing faintly. "We will be one." He held his palms at Cid that glowed brightly with a sparkling concentration of energy. The light glazed through the air as it shot out from Cloud's life force draining through his palms out at the old man. Cid flew through the air and crashed through two walls rendering him unconscious. The unknown figure grinned at the crowd that cried out in panic as they ran to safety. He circled once more and ran towards the window. His body punched through the window's outer frames as he leaped down two stories onto the rough pavement. Blood splattered through the wound without a flinch from the teen as he stood up slowly.

"It draws near."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 4**  
  
**[Part 13]  
**  
"How you holding up?"

"What? Oh, yea, I'm fine," Selphie shakily answered. The night rolled in with a frost as she hugged her jacket tightly around her slender figure. Her breath fogged the air before her as she walked softly through the quiet night. The sidewalk was somewhat smooth unlike the bumpy pathways she was used to walking on at home. She looked behind her to see an empty road lacking of dangers nearby, yet she felt troubled.

The pair had just returned from Doctor Kadoka, a poor family doctor exiled into Trion from the corruption of ravenous vultures seeking out the reality behind their avaricious reverie. Vincent had carried the cashier over the shoulder down three blocks until they finally reached Doctor Kadoka's office, which was a building located in the safest part of the perilous city scuffed with ferocious dogs. Families all around created a funding with whatever money they were able to provide for him. After venomous sicknesses began to worsen in Trion, Doctor Kadoka was summoned from the depths of a dark alley along with his deprived family to create Trion's health clinic.

In their haste, they were only able to give the struggling body to a few nurses that worked in the health clinic. Walking into the building, they were drawn to the sight of the bleeding body and carried him away. Doctor and Mrs. Kadoka were both operating on a gun wound of one of the most recent victims of the Red Wolves and couldn't attend the two visitors as they idly worked hours away into the night to revive the patient. Vincent and Selphie rushed out through the crowding lines that awaited treatment outside the clinics corridors.

The night air seemed to grow foggy with a crisp scent that hung on to each wisp of coolness stinging the delicate skin of her face numbing the tip of her already red nose. Her eyes watered with the unstoppable dryness and her ears oblivious to any sounds except for her sniffles and short breathing. The air before her mouth was even smokier than before, a non-gravitated spiral of a blank whiteness to graze her cheeks.

"Are you cold?" Vincent began to take off his jacket when he realized he wasn't wearing one. Patting his blood-stained clothes, he said, "Oh shoot, I left my jacket in the garage."

"Oh, it's all right, I got my own," she replied. She held her hands together blowing on them for warmth. Her nose and ears were numb with coldness. She kept walking until she heard his footsteps cease to a stop.

"It's not just that," he told her. "My keys are in it too."

"Oh..." she whispered thoughtfully. "Well let's go back then. I'm sure the others...um, the Red Wolves, I mean, cleaned the place out by now."

"No, you stay here."

"Why can't I go?" she complained.

"What if they're not gone yet?" he asked her. "And what if they come after you? It'll only take a couple minutes, I'll be back in no time."

"Hello? What about me? What should I do if something happened to you?" she said defensively. "I wouldn't know till they find me standing around here waiting for you to just show up!"

With a sigh, he put his hands on his waist. _Oh hell_. "Fine, but stay close to me. If one of them spots us, run and don't worry about me, ok?" She was about to argue but he stopped her. "Either you say you'll run or you don't come at all."

"Fine," she shrugged.

"Fine," he nodded.

He went back the way they came with his hands dug deep into his pockets. It was freezing, especially since it's winter. He was glad it wasn't windy. The last time he was out on an extremely windy night, he was drunk and nearly fallen off Faro's Crossing, one of Trion's main bridges.

They continued walking until they reached the intersection between Carbora Boulevard and Tapioca Avenue. The night was dark and lonely, but interrupted as soon as they heard a large uproar around the corner.

"Jeez! The station!" Vincent ran towards the intersection as he froze in his tracks raking his hands through his long dark hair. Selphie was in the same state of shock as she saw what the Red Wolves had done to the gas station's diner.

There were pieces of glass lying scattered about the gas pumps from the smashed windows. Soda machines laid cracked on the ground while the diner's contents spill around the diner's curb. The undisturbed night had been broken with fierce flames barking at the crystal gems flickering in the black velvet sky. A blast from the diner caused a balloon of fire to expand from the gas station's base towards the foggy clouds of black smoke. Breaking glass rang in her ears as she covered them with her shaking hands. She shook her head side to side wondering how she could ever let this happen.

"Oh...my... God," Selphie sobbed sorrowfully. "Vincent, I'm...God, this is my fault, I'm so sorry! This wouldn't have happened if...if it weren't for... I'm so sorry!"

"Selphie!" Vincent put his hand on her shoulders. They jumped from her hiccups as she watched guiltily at the flames that engulfed the station. "Selphie!" he yelled out again. The fire was sparking and snapping loudly like broken twigs crushed under one's foot with an angered cry of devastation. He shook the fragile girl with force until she came out of her trance and looked him in the eye. "Listen to me, this," he pointed to the flickering flames, "isn't your fault. All right? Look at me, no," he had to grab her cheeks in his hands to pull her gaze away from the light. "Look at me! This isn't your fault. The Reds did it; you're not with them. You got nothing to do with what happened here."

"But I," she began. "This...? The fire...again?" she was a lost soul gone in her eyes as Vincent paused.

"Again? What do you mean—?

A deafening blow from the gas station's diner interrupted him as the flames grew wildly waving its harsh flames teasingly at its victim. It came into contact with the oil-stained concrete that led to the garage door.

"Oh hell no!" Vincent's grasp let loose as he rushed forward into the street. "Ah! Damn it!" He screamed as a car sprung on him and nearly collided into his knees as he toppled forward onto the car's hood.

"Vincent!" Selphie cried in horror but breathed at ease as the car squeaked to a stop. He ignored the driver's comments as he regained balance pushing his palms off of the hood of the vehicle and jogged to the sidewalk. "What are you doing? Vincent!" she called out to him and stepped off the curb to follow him.

"No Selphie!" he told her. "You stay there!"

"This is a gas station Vince!" she cupped her hands over her mouth as she shouted. "You're fucked if you go in there! Forget the keys, we can just break into your house!" The fire exploded again making them both jump. Cars began lining up in the close distance. They stood behind their opened doors watching in wonder.

"I'll just be a minute!" he made his way towards the garage. _It's not just my keys I'm worried about... _Vincent thought.

"It better be a minute," the girl mumbled with a sigh. She watched his sneakers pump against the pavement as he sprinted towards the front door. It was blocked with flames as he searched for any object he could break glass with. He found large pieces of rock set on the grass near the sidewalk. Running to them, he took two heavy chunks of stone and thrashed them through the garage's cracked glass. He jumped in rolling on the floor.

"Ah!" he let out as his hand was slit with a sharp blade. "Son of a..." he paused as he saw it. The box. It sat above the shelves over the cluttered counter almost hidden behind dancing ribbons of bright orange and yellow light. Cringing, he took the nearest piece of cloth he could find and slammed it onto the fire. It was covered in oil, a fact he did not notice until it caught on fire and stung his fingers. He searched through the thick smoke of blackness as he spotted a red canister. "Fire extinguisher..." he said to himself as he blew the smoke away from the label with the wave of his hand. "Yes!" He pulled it off the wall nearly falling backwards from the force.

He ran quickly jumping onto his main working table kicking aside the numerous binders filled with valuable paperwork. He put his hand over the handle that was almost too hot to hold as a foamy liquid sprayed. from the black tube out onto the fire. Some of the fire was put out just enough to give him time to run towards the counter. He climbed above the clutter using the wooden shelves attached to the walls as a balance as he grabbed a large metal box locked tightly with a combination. He held it preciously when an explosion made him fly off onto the tile floors. Picking up the box, he ran towards his desk where his jacket hung on the back of a chair and in it his house keys. He ran towards the window but a large ball of flame once again expanded like ripples in the sea. He coughed heavily covering his eyes with his arm. He squinted through the combination of bright light and a thick layer of smoke cloaking his vision of an exit. He clutched onto the box tightly backing away from the threatening arms blazing to capture his existence and burn him at stake.  
  
**[Part 14]**  
  
A young woman stood by a light post in the corner of Carbora Boulevard leaning against it as support. She was hyperventilating like she always does when she's in panic, however, this time she could hardly breathe. Vincent had been gone much longer than a minute. She knew for she had counted every second that's passed since he left her sight. It' been nearly five minutes, and although it was just a short amount of time, waiting there to see the figure of a man walk out safely from the fire nearly killed her with suspense.

"Vince...?" she cried softly. She couldn't take her racing heart much longer. "Vincent!" She screamed at the top of her lungs through her red swollen eyes. The people of Trion waited in their cars to see what would happen next. So many people, yet not one came forward to offer a hand.

A man nearly went to get a hose to water down some of the fire for Vincent at least, but was stopped with fear by the flames that were far to intimidating to be close to. After he stepped away, no one offered assistance. Even Selphie knew there wasn't enough hope to stop the fire. It was large enough to be seen from miles away, but the garage hadn't been fully taken over yet. It gave the young woman a light of hope that maybe he is in one piece.

"Ah!" her shriek panicked the drivers as she felt a hand grab her shoulders. She shook it off and turned around half expecting to see an angry Irvine ready to shoot a bullet through her brain. "You...it's you!"  
  
**[Part 15]**  
  
"Somebody!" The ceiling was falling in clusters breaking off onto the floor. Beats of sweat strayed down his face as he backed into a corner. There were no emergency exits in the garage, only the front door that was blocked fully by the fire and the windows that were too far for him to get to unharmed. "Somebody! Help me! Please!" he sobbed gulping the large knot tied in his throat.

_So this is it..._he thought. _I'm a goner, there's no way I'm getting outta here alive. Just no way..._ He looked down at the box. He cast his eyes towards any escape, but eventually gave up with regret. He threw his body onto the walls in the far corner of the garage as he shrunk down onto the floor scuffing the tiled floor with black marks while the box lay peacefully against his lap. He ran his fingers on the carving, a picture of a dove. He smiled sadly as he awaited death.

"First my parents...and Zidane...then you?" Vincent's eyes swelled with tears threatening to spill down his blackened cheeks. "I'm just the luckiest guy ever, aren't I?" he laughed sarcastically as the tears poured. "You didn't deserve it... I'm sorry I have to break our promise, but hey, we'll finally be together again, right? Just you and me, like old times."

The flames seemed drawn to his despair as it inched forward. "I'm going to die Dove..." he coughed painfully through his dry throat. He needed water desperately. _What for?_ He realized watching the keeper of death creep towards him. "I miss you so much, you know that Dove? But we're going to see each other real soon, ok?" He put the box down in front of his crossed legs.

He twisted the combination until the lock clicked softly unlocking the metal box to unleash the secrets stored within. His hands shook with uncertainty as he placed his hands on the top and opened it. He blinked and swallowed unable to get rid of the knot that choked him even more as the flames came closer. He wiped away his tears clearing his vision to see a smiling face glaring at him with mischievous eyes.

His mouth hung loose as his heart skipped a beat. His sobs became gasps; his lips quivered with a mixture of emotions; his eyes clogged with pain. He slammed the lid shut as he let out a weak cry of agony. His insides hurt badly from an internal explosion of anguish held in for far too long.

"Dove! I don't wanna die! I want us to be together, but how? How!" He screamed at the top of his lungs choking from effort. He cried in misery suffering from a darkness begging to walk the runway to freedom. A brisk wave of cool air whirled around his face when the presence of sweet harmony calmed his torn soul.

"A heart of despair is a heart of stone."

"Huh?" Vincent looked up with confusion. His blurred eyes saw a smeared figure standing before him. He squeezed them shut rubbing them dry. He looked to his amazement to see the figure of a young woman. She stood tall between him and the fire as she looked at him with a face fixed with serenity.

"Without hope, the heart would drown in sorrow." She was a beauty. Although she was barefooted, she was tall and had a slender figure with a hint of grace in each limb. She wore a unique garment that fluttered over her smooth ivory skin. Her shiny almond colored hair hung loosely in relaxed curls that flowed tamely down to her waist that rounded around her exotic face. Her features were delicate yet confident. She had lips as red as a rose and bright emerald eyes that were calm and loving. She really was a beauty.

"Are...are you an angel?" he asked.

She simply smiled. The fire seemed to have gone at ease around her as she peered into his soul. "Vincent, you are a magnificent being. Your heart is full of love and life. Although faced many hardships in the past, you are able to shine with the joyous person that you are."

"Joy...?" he asked. "You call this joy? How many people have to die until I find peace? Tell me, how many?"

Taken back with his angered sorrow, she leaned down and placed her hand gently on his shoulder. Her hand felt oddly cool that had a fall of tranquility pour fluently through her soft fingers. Vincent was spellbound as he gazed into her crystalline green eyes. There was something so mysterious and captivating about them. "You cannot dwell in the past Vincent. That you must learn. Once it has taken its course, it will forever be gone. You must not look back on life, but forward. That is where your answers are stored, that is where you must take hold. It is your future, yours and only yours. You are the key to your destiny, and you must keep hope in your heart that your faith will unlock it. Without it, sorrow will prevail over your soul."

With that, she got up to leave. "Wait! You're telling me about hope and all this crap about my future, but look around! I don't exactly have much of a future to look forward to!" She smiled once more. "Vincent, I cannot help you. I am merely a dream."  
"Oh God, I'm going mad," he said straightforwardly. "No, you are not. I am real, if that is what you ask of me," she explained to the young man. "However, I am only with you in spirit. To live, you must rely on your hope. Only then can He save you."

"He?" Vincent asked. "He who?"

"You needn't concern yourself of such matters," she replied. "He cannot save you if you do not have the will to live."

"I... I'm not ready to die," he told her sadly. He looked back down onto his box with the dove carving on top. "But... I'm not really into the living part."

"To tear the wings of a broken angel...it is callous, is it not?" she eyed the picture on the box as she asked. His stunned reaction caused her to continue. "She pleaded that I void you from losing hope. I am here because of her, Vincent. If you depart this life tonight, she will be far more wounded than the affliction that has scorched your heart all these years."

"Dove..." he whispered.

"I must take leave. He arrives," she turned to depart as Vincent shouted out.

"If you talk to Dove, please tell her I love her..." the girl spun around as he whispered softly, "And that I won't give up."

With another smile, she replied, "I will see to it that she pay a visit to you. I sense a great bond between you and she, even in death."

"Yeah," he whispered. "She's my girl."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**  
  
**[Part 16]  
**  
"Are... you all right?" Selphie nearly fainted at the sight of the spike that was punched through the teenager's shoulder. It bled heavily making the acids in her stomach stir. He had cuts and bruises all over himself, but mainly the spike was his lethal injury. He was pale and his eyes were an oddly pinkish red. He breathed heavily before answering.

"Does...it look...like I'm ok...to you?" he stammered.

She looked back at the gas station, at least six minutes had passed by then, yet Vincent was still missing. She eyed the large piece of wood wedged in Cloud's shoulder disgustedly. "We really need to pull that out, you know? It's really bleeding."

"Where's...Vincent...?" he asked.

"He's inside. Been in there for God knows how long. We gotta do something!" she sighed heavily nibbling on her nails in deep thought when she saw the teen's weak stature. "But we really need to get that thing out... here let me try and—

"Ah! Fck!" Cloud cried. A mother gasped as she covered her child's ears with her hands as she looked disapprovingly at the two. There were some people who were starting to help now, but things were still confusing. They were just standing around trying to figure out what to do. "Woman... are you... trying...to kill me...here?" he screamed angrily.

"Oh, that's really in there..." she said examining the wound. "Getting it out is going to be tough."

"No shit?" he told her sarcastically.

The teen blinked rapidly as the approach of a swelling rush of intoxicating feelings thundered its way through his body. His eyes dilated uncontrollably blurring his vision temporarily as his heart squeezed as though someone had reached through his chest and was crushing his very existence. He could feel the blood pumping through every vein in his body making his forehead drip with beads of sweat. He found it hard to take in air causing him to feel light-headed, worsening his already pounding headache. There was a burning sensation that stung his frayed limbs. It intensified slowly growing within him. He made his way to the light post and leaned against it. _What's wrong with me...?_ He thought. The teen knew there was a threatening chance that he may not make it through the night with the massively painful injury to his shoulder, but this was a completely unfamiliar feeling that continued to expand within him. _I feel...it hurts..._he scowled while grinding his teeth from the unbearable pain.

"Where's...he? He should be...out now." He tried to distract himself by keeping his mind on Vincent. He began coughing blood, making Selphie cringe as she slyly stepped behind him. Cloud suggested, "Maybe we should... go check on hi—

The mother wasn't the only woman who had to cover her ears as many cars of Carbora Boulevard tried to block out the curses shouting through the air. Cloud screamed explicit words that children shouldn't be allowed to hear as Selphie rested her fists on her waist examining the spike that she was able to pull at least half way out.

Then it happened.

The burning sensation swelled into a great ball of lightening shocking its way through the veins of his body as Cloud wailed in agonizing pain. Time suddenly stalled as everything began to move in slow motion. Cloud's eyes began to dilate even more until everything went pitch black. A bright light bolted through his darkened vision as an image of Vincent flashed in his mind. It was clear only for a moment when it began to fade into a foggy blur of colors.

"What the hell...?" Cloud mumbled to himself as he tried to overcome the overwhelming confusion that tried to envelop his mind. Time began to run smoothly and the teen snapped back into his cruel reality. Selphie, oblivious to Cloud's condition, was about to apologize when a split second later the largest explosion blasted through the garage.

"No!" she cried. "Vincent!" She started to run forward when Cloud held up his arm stopping her in step.

"Wait."

"Are you fucking blind?" the young woman screamed at the top of her lungs. Shoving his arm away, she scolded him, "Vincent's in there! He could be dying for all we know! You want to just wait for him to walk out like some dead beat zombie?"

"He's fine," Cloud stated quietly.

"Say what?" Selphie stood back. "Move. I'm going in."

He exhaustedly held up his arm again. "I said... he's fine. You go in there...you'll only get...you're as baked." Selphie stared at him with a skeptical look. _You're scaring me, kid..._she supposed vaguely. Blue eyes? She finally noticed for the first time. A thought promptly smacked her in the face. "You...you're...are you—

Just then, Cloud looked up without shock, but disbelief when he saw Vincent stumble out of the wild flames carrying a ripped up jacket and a box with something carved on the front. _What's happening to me? How did I—_ his thoughts were interrupted as Selphie ran towards the young man and jumped into his arms. She rung his neck gently with her arms as she hugged him tightly obviously glad to see him again. The fire was still raging as Vincent led her farther away from the gas station and regrouped with Cloud.

"He's alive!" she said in a high-pitched voice. "Can you believe it?"

_No,_ Cloud thought silently. After having a moment of unending coughing fits, the young man stared wide- eyed at the teen.

"The hell happened to you...?" He laughed at Vincent's amusing expression smeared with black ashes.

"I'll...live. Good to...see you...man..." Cloud held out his hand as Vincent shook it in return. He clung onto his box and his jacket while he grinned weakly.  
  
"Yeah, it's good to be back," he choked out with his voice low with sincerity.

"I can't believe you made it out alive. I thought you were dead!" Selphie exclaimed. "How'd you get out?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," he answered scratching the back of his head. "Come on, let's get you fixed up." He pointed to Cloud as they made their way to Vincent's house and into the night.  
  
**[Part 17]**  
  
Far in the distance, atop a building defeated by years of brutish tending, a teenage boy stood above the city under the star lit ocean of black velvet. Five large men and a young woman lingered impatiently behind him in silence. The wind speared through his short dirty blonde locks as his eyebrows furrowed with his squinting eyes. Grinning with a leer, he held down his binoculars after watching Selphie and the two strangers leave. Putting down the binoculars, he leaned down to place his hands atop the roof's ledge as he closed his eyes breathing in the crisp dry air into his lungs. The dull breeze circulated through the bodies and trench coats of its visitors as it clung thickly in the air awaiting the breaking of silence. Its wish was fulfilled as the woman's loud smack of gum shattered through the ever-comfortable quietness of the rooftop.

The mysterious teenager shifted his head slightly behind him at the group that suddenly became alert and ready for action. With the signal of his hand, a man in his late twenties stepped forward leaning close to the teenager as he spoke into his ear. Nodding, the young man turned towards the group with a straight face. After giving them an order, they departed the rooftop, leaving the teenager to stand alone with emotionless eyes.

A sound rung from his pocket as he slid out a cell phone. Flipping it open, he spoke wearily, "Yeah?"

"Has _He_ arrived?" a voice deep and sharp as glass asked.

The teen instantly recognized the voice on the other end of the line as he replied sarcastically, "Sure thing, Skippy. Peanut buttery cow dung oozing through his fucking brains."

"You dare mock me?" the voice retorted.

"Not if I wanna keep my dick," he joked swerving around and leaning back against the ledge. "The kid's here. Had a little accident I think."

He heard a sharp breath of air exhale through the phone. "Did He survive?"

"Who gives a damn?" he rolled his eyes.

"If you want to keep that sorry little dick between your legs, I suggest you answer my questions accordingly," the voice threatened coolly.

Stiffening slightly, he told her, "Look lady, till I knock the shit out of that pretty boy's face, the kid ain't gonna die. So get the fck off my as and let me kill him."

"No. No one is to harm him, do you understand?" she restricted harshly. "Just do as you are told. Bring him to me."

"Whatever lady," he said turning back to the ledge. He picked up the binoculars and inspected the area where the fire took place. The three people were no longer in the street corner of Carbora Boulevard and Havana Avenue. "But the shit head's got one of my girls."

"What is she to you?" she questioned flatly.

"A penny in a sack," he sneered. "Them girls down Bicmoy Lane ain't so fun. They're all broken in, if you know what I mean." He smirked before continuing. "So you fine piece of as, when will I get to ride you into the sun like a cowboy?"

A short pause came, followed by a low seductive voice. "Bring Him to me, and I'll grant you whatever you're heart desires."

The teen nodded with satisfaction. "That's what I'm talking about."

"Dispose the girl," she ordered. "She mustn't interfere with my plans."  
  
**[Part 18]**  
  
Cid walked down the broken sidewalk as he limped his way back home. It was a long walk and his leg was slowing him down. He managed to hitch a ride with a driver back from Tapioca Avenue, but got kicked out because the car was being stolen while they were driving. He had at least a block and a half to walk, but with a busted leg, it was harder than he thought it would be. Looking passed the torn down buildings on his street, he lit up at the sight of his apartment sitting just a couple more feet away. His leg grew worse with every agonizing step. Each time his foot came into contact with the ground, a bolt of pain shocked through the torn tissue of his calf. Blood seeped through the tattered skin leaking down his skin and dripping onto the ground as he walked. His arm stopped bleeding from when one of the robbers slit him in the diner earlier that night. He went about it like a snail as he limped his way towards the front door. Opening it, he went down the hallway to the left and opened the door to his home.

"Cid!" Hilda whispered excitedly.

Jonathon was sound asleep, but his loving wife had stayed up all night waiting for him. She got up from a slanted chair and slid into his arms as they embraced each other with care. He flinched a bit as Hilda pulled back at the feel of the tenderly warm fluid cascading her cold arm.

"You're bleeding!" she cried with wide eyes that nearly bulged out of their sockets.

"Ah, it's all right, just a little speck eh?" he moaned as she poked his thigh near the wound.

She shook her head as she went to find something to clean up the injury with. "What happened? Did...did Cloud do this to you?" she said alarmed.

"Now, now, hold your horses," he calmed her down as she supported him to a chair. She sat down as she mended his wound. "I couldn't get nothing out of him, so I stuck with the chump for a bit. He was all edgy just like his dingbat bastard of a Papa," he chuckled frivolously. "We ended up at the gas station up in Carbora cause of that damn motorcycle of his."

"Carbora? That far?" she asked.

"Yeah. Finally got to chat with the little sucker," he twitched painfully. "Ah, gentle girly, now, gentle."

"Oh shut your trap, Cid," she smacked his hip. "Stop being such a baby. So what did you two boys talk about?"

"I think the boy's got amnesia..." he stroked his mustache in deep thought.

"Just a blank slate? Oh Lord, this is something ain't it?" she dabbed a dry rag on the gash as she wiped away the blood.

"Hilda, I really think that boy's got something happening in that head of his," he began. "He is Cloud. He's the only kid we know who got those eyes. But he said something about never being in Trion and being from someplace else."

"If he does have amnesia, how can he know?" his wife asked. She began wrapping the wound on his calf with a long piece of ripped cloth from one of her old skirts.

"I didn't have much of a chance to ask. That boy rushed out on me in a snap," he snapped his chubby fingers loudly to emphasize the scene. Jonathon stirred but stayed asleep on the old mattress with the worn teddy bear held in his arms. "Right when he walked out, them Red's just came storming in. Boy, if I ever get my hands on that Seifer—"

"Cid!" she exclaimed with fear. "We didn't warn him about Seifer!"

"Huh? Ah damn it, slipped my mind!" Cid smacked his forehead guiltily.

"We can't let them Red's know he's here," she stated gravely. "If Seifer finds out that Cloud's home..."

"Yeah honey, I know," he assured her. He paused for a moment with wrinkled marks engraved in between his eyes.

"What is it?" she asked unsurely.

"Kid helped me out back there," he murmured gratefully. "I got to thank his as for that, but what happened after made me think..." Seeing the confused look on his wife's face, he explained. "I took him to Edea's place, the one up in Tapioca Avenue. Her old room's on the second floor, but I took him to the fourth. I wanted to see what he'd do, you know, test that memory of his... but we had an accident, my fault actually. He ended up falling right into Edea's room. Ironic huh?" he chuckled awkwardly.

"I don't see anything to laugh about. You could've gotten him killed!" she scolded him. "Is he ok?"

"He's got some cuts and bruises, but his shoulder's got a bad case of spikes. Big hunk of wood stuck right here." He placed his hand where Cloud had the foreign object lodged in his body.

"Ugh, that's horrible. We need to get him to Doctor Kadoka!"

Cid got up slowly, his leg stiff from the bandages that tightly bind his calf. He stood by the window looking exhaustedly at the crowd of people walking passed the building with a chilling apprehensive air that hung onto him, solidifying on the old skin of his face.

"Cid?" his wife unbent her knees as she shuffled her way to her husband. She ran her hand on his back with concern. "There's more, isn't there?"

He paused to carefully word it. "His dreams..."

"Dreams?" she said thoughtfully. "You don't mean... _him_... and the mirror..."

"Afraid so."

"Oh no..." Hilda said alarmed. "Not him..."

"Who else?" he replied, "The kid turned into this little creepy monster, just like he'd say when he got one of those nightmares. Never believed a single word out of his lying mouth but... he spoke to me.

"So he's back," Hilda assumed. "We already know what that damn mangy son-of-a-bitch is after. Cloud's turning eighteen soon, you know what'll happen then," she nodded as he continued. "He's bound to go after the kid, I wouldn't doubt that for a second. But I'm starting to think maybe he's got something to do with Cloud's disappearance."

"But it still wouldn't make any sense. It's all wrong..."

"I know darling," he said to her sadly. "I know."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**  
  
**[Part 19]  
**  
A jingling sound tinkered at the door as the knob was turned. Opening it, Selphie stepped aside to let Vincent help carry in Cloud. She took the ring of keys from the lock and stepped inside closing the door behind her. Vincent dragged the teenager to an old worn out couch sitting in his tiny living room as he slowly sat him down. Cloud was losing consciousness and a great deal of blood from his critical condition.

"Selphie, watch him for a sec. I'm going to get some first aid stuff," Vincent told her. "All right," she smiled. He walked out of the room to get his supplies as the young woman sat down on a rough love seat in front of a short coffee table sitting between her and Cloud. "How you holding up?"

The teen opened his eyes and rolled them at the sight of her. "You're...really something," he muttered with a hint of sarcasm in his trembling voice. He took his hand and wiped away the red liquid pouring from his tender lips tasting the sickening saltiness of his blood. "I'm...use to it...anyway," he told her.

Vincent walked in with a white box with a red cross on it and a plastic bag filled with doctor like tools. "You're going to have to trust me with this because this is going to hurt like a mother."

"Whatever..." Cloud said. "Just get...it over...with."

"Selphie, can you give me a hand?" he asked.

"Don't even have to ask," she said readily. She jumped to her feet as she sat next to him on the coffee table. "What should I do?"

"Here," he handed her a bottle of disinfectant hand soap and latex gloves. "We need to keep everything clean, you know, make sure he doesn't get infected once we're done."

"Yes sir," she began to clean off her hands.

Rubbing the disinfectant thoroughly into his hands, Vincent informed Cloud, "From what I can tell, it seems you've got external wounds throughout your body, but your shoulder received the most critical damage so we're going to take care of that right away," Vincent slid his strong fingers into the glove stretching out its rubber material with a snap. "I don't think you want to stay up for it..."

"Knock me...out cold..." Cloud directed him.

The young man stiffed out a small laugh as he opened a box containing a tube filled with thick liquid. "How about this?" he prepared a needle filled with the unknown mixture. "I'm going to inject this just above your neckline. You'll only be out for a short amount of time, but long enough for us to complete the operation." He nodded gratefully as Vincent continued. "I think the only way we can get that thing out is by pulling it out, after that the rest should be easy."

"Just...do it...already," Cloud pleaded.

The man laughed at his struggling friend. "All right. You two ready?" They both nodded. "Let's do this."

Vincent flicked the end of the needle squirting out a little bit of the contents to test it. Making sure it was fine; he leaned towards Cloud gently shifting his chin to stick the needle in his neck. After injecting the liquid into him, the teen became groggy almost instantly.

"Works like a charm," Vincent said as Cloud fell asleep with his head going limp against the couch's pillow. "Time for the hard part. Can you get the things in those pouches ready?"

She picked up the plastic pouch and unfolded the flaps to reveal the tools in it as he stood up and placed his hands on the spike examining the wound. "Man, you lucky son-of-a-btch," he mumbled to himself. He slid the opened pouches of tools to lie before him. "It's not close to his heart, but this is definitely going to take a long period of time before it heals."

He opened another box with another row of tubes containing mixtures of fluid unfamiliar to Selphie. She watched him as he performed the same process he did on the shot that knocked the teen out cold. "What's that for?"

"We need to pull that piece of wood out," he answered in deep concentration. "We won't be able to successfully get it out without losing a large amount of blood. Fortunately, I have a sedative that can slow the blood flow in a specific area of his bloodstream."

"Wow," Selphie whispered with her eyebrows arched up. "You really know what you're doing."

"Piece of cherry pie," Vincent winked playfully at her before injecting the sedative to Cloud's wound. "All right, we need to wait for this to take an effect." He looked back at Cloud's wound. "Damn..." He took the tools out and began the operation. "This is going to be a long as night."  
  
**[Part 20]**  
  
_A shivering chill of fear shocked the interiors of his body as he jumped at the terrifying thunderclap. His eyes were paralyzed with dread as a bright glow of light flashed briefly through the cracks of his folded blinds and held his breath as he waited for the raging explosion to quake his small apartment room. A loud boom cracked through the silence causing him to cry out in terror. _

_His face was painted with fright as he scrambled under his sheets and shoved his index fingers into the holes of his ears. He began doing what he'd always do when he wanted to block out the harsh sounds of mother nature's release of anguish, sing the lullaby that she'd sing to him every night when she tucked him to sleep. _

_"__Lullaby, say goodnight, wish that you my love, will be dreaming. You're my world, my heart, and my soul, never to part..." he stopped as he heard a creaking sound through his clogged ears. Pulling his fingers out he peered from under the blanket trembling with dread that it may be the boogie monster coming to get him. His head popped out revealed to cold fresh air that made his lungs feel cool and dry only to see that it was just she. _

_She had come to check up on him as she looked inside through the opened door. "Hey sweetie, what's wrong?" _

_"__I'm scared," the tiny boy peeped from under his covers. "Ah!" he screamed as a thunder roared above him quivering in his bones. He threw off the covers and crawled across the bed and climbed into her arms. _

_"Aw, you poor thing!" she laughed amused. "It's only a storm. Here." She sauntered towards the window maneuvering passed discolored toys that piled on the floor as he began to try and shake off her firm hold. _

_"No!" he cried. The window appeared brighter and brighter the closer he got to it. It seemed to reach out to him with terror threatening to take his life away into the bitter cold of dripping tears. "Stop! I'm really scared! Stop!" _

_She hushed his whining as she pulled the cord dangling by the window's peeled frame and lifted the blinds layer by layer with each tug. The child gazed out of the window through the shiny droplets of water to see nothing but rainfall and a bright flashing light that zigzagged through the shadowy darkness lingering above building tops. _

_"You see? It's only rain. There's nothing to be afraid of," she held him at her waist as he laid his head against her shoulders whimpering. A crack of malice burned through his ears waking his tired eyes and yell frightened. _

_"But that's really, really scary!" he loudly muffled into sweater as she pulled him away from her. _

_"Yes, yes it is, but you can't just run and hide under your blanket every time you're scared honey, you need to be brave and face your fears," she put him down on the bed and sat in front of him. Putting her hands on his shoulders, she told him, "You have to be strong. If you're not, he'll come for you again. Do you want that man to come again?" _

_"No..." he shook his head quietly. _

_"Then you can't let what you're scared of make the best of you," she stroked his soft hair as she kissed him lightly on the forehead. He nodded as she smiled with love. "That's my boy."  
_  
**[Part 21]**  
  
Through thick eyelashes, a pair of cerulean marbles adjusted to the blurred colors shadowing the ceiling. Blinking away the stiff, sticky residue from his eyes, Cloud had awoken calmly without thought. He had just about gotten ready to get up as he cried out in agony. Sharp pangs of electricity bolted through his veins as he lightly grasped at the pain throbbing his shoulder with his hand. Taking short breaths, he slowly settled back into the couch draping his arm over his face from the radiating ray of sunlight burning into his ice cobalt eyes through a small slit in the closed blinds.

He was suddenly stuck with a state of confusion as he saw that he was lying in a place unfamiliar to him. He couldn't remember where he was or how he had gotten to be there. He couldn't remember why he had to cringe with every breath he took because of the pain burning in his shoulder. Questions ran through his mind while his eyelids drooped heavily draping his sight. He didn't have the strength to move nor did he have the will to fight against the drowsiness taking over him. Forgetting his disorientation, he fell asleep as he remembered the only thing he had not wondered about, the face of a stranger.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8  
**  
**[Part 22]  
**  
The morning was cool and crisp, a dawn waiting to arise from its ashes and bring forth a newborn ray of hope to the unforgiving sins cloaking the miles of Trion. While the night crawlers of the impecunious city disappeared into their rotting nests to rest their drug-addicted bodies, the good citizens of Trion finally had a moment of peace that only came during this rare time of day. There was a chilling silence that hung in the air as a breeze wisped through the dark corners of deserted streets while the rooftops of buildings began to brighten with a streak of orange yellow light. Although most of the grounds of Trion were captivated in a brief sleeping spell, the hospital was still running as active as the night before.

The building didn't have a long line of patients waiting through the front door as it had hours ago when Vincent and Selphie brought the badly injured cashier to receive treatment for his wounds. However, there were still people remaining in the cramped waiting room when the two young adults walked through the hospital's corridors again.

Upon arriving, they were greeted by Ms. Cahokia, the doctor's second personal assistant. She had just finished filling out a form on an old clipboard and handed it to a man working at the front desk when she turned and saw a familiar face.

"Vincent?" she asked with uncertainty. She was well in her mid thirties with grays that aged her beyond her years. Being a nurse in that hospital for years has gifted her with wrinkles of stress and worn feet as she shuffled towards the two.

"My, oh my, is that you?" she chuckled deep in her throat with a dull harmony that lit with a hint of sadness and a wave of warmth. She smiled kindly at the young man who welcomed her with opened arms.

"Ms. Cahokia!" he said happily giving her a big hug. She held him out taking in every detail of him as her eyes twinkled with tears.

"Look at you!" she cried. "All grown up and handsome as ever." She squeezed his cheek shaking it playfully as she hugged him again.

"Aw, stop it, you're embarrassing me!" he said wrinkling his nose with a smile. She kissed him lightly on the forehead as she held his face in her small hands. She sighed quietly as she shook her head slightly with disbelief.

"So many years...and you finally came back!" she choked out. She suddenly pushed him away as she scolded him with her index finger. "But you, young man, got a lot of explaining to do! Where have you been all this time? Why didn't you tell us you were going to leave? And why in God's name did you run away?"

Selphie was cut off guard a bit as she heard this. _Run away? Him? You got to be kidding me,_ she thought to herself. Vincent frowned as he cut Ms. Cahokia off from her bombarding wave of questions. "Wow, hold on, wait a second!" He put up his hands signing for her to stop. "Yes, I know I've been...away, but I promise I'll explain everything when I come back."

"What?" she asked as her forehead crinkled with disappointment. "Oh no, don't tell me you're going to just leave us again, mister, oh no you certainly are not!"

"No, it's not like that, Ms. Cahokia!" he reassured her. "I'm not going anywhere, it's just that..." he turned his head and looked at Selphie who stood quietly nearby. "We need to get some supplies for a patient I've just operated on and—

"My goodness, child! Who on earth did this to you?" Ms. Cahokia had exclaimed as she walked over to the young woman. She had twirled and turned Selphie's body examining her cuts and bruises that overlapped the smoothness of her skin. They've become more discolored and swollen than before.

Selphie had opened her mouth to respond, but she couldn't say who had been responsible for her injuries. Vincent broke the awkward moment by cutting in, "I'm sorry Ms. Cahokia, but we're really in a hurry."

"Oh? How so?" Ms. Cahokia pondered. "Well, I can get those supplies for you once I treat your girlfriend."

She was referring to Selphie as she waited expectantly for an answer. Vincent was dumbfounded for a second as he caught Selphie giving him a skeptical yet expectant look teasing behind her cat-like eyes. The young man blushed at this feeling a rush of heat burn on the apples of his cheeks.

"Us..." he let out a laughing breath. "No, you got it all wrong.... we're not...she's just... a friend."

"I see..." the woman said suspicious of his stumble of words. "My apologies then."

"Nah, it's all right. We've got a huge setback though. My patient's lost an incredibly large amount of blood. He's stable...for now. But with all these people..." he said referring to the crowd waiting in the cramped waiting room. "We wanted to know if we could bring him in for a blood transfusion. In his condition, his fatality is currently immeasurable."

Ms. Cahokia was about to speak as she was urgently interrupted by one of the hospital's staff members. She wore her dark hair in a bun with a plastic bag tied over her hair along with long pants that was torn here and there with a tight t-shirt stained in dried up blood and sweat. She ran towards Ms. Cahokia holding her arms up at her sides in order to keep her gloves from dripping any more blood than it already had.

"Ms. Cahokia!" she said breathlessly. She breathed heavily as she regained her posture.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Doctor Kadoka needs your assistance immediately! He is about to perform the bypass surgery for the bullet wound patient in room fifty-seven," the woman reported to the doctor's assistant quickly.

"Bypass surgery...?" she thought out loud. "Is that man insane? I specifically told him that this patient needed to be operated right through the wound. He's going to increase the possibility of having the patient receive damage beyond repair in order to operate!"

"I know, Ms. Cahokia, I told him this before but he wouldn't listen," the woman replied. "He knows that he is putting the patient in high risk, but the patient insists the doctor that he performs the surgical remove _now_."

"Crazy fool!" she exclaimed. "Do you see what I must put up with around here?" She said turning to the two young adults. "I'm so sorry Vincent, but I must attend this patient before that idiotic doctor makes him worse. Whatever you need talk to someone at the front desk, but come visit us, you hear?"

"Yeah, I will," Vincent nodded faithfully. With that, she turned on her heel and stormed away into the stair well of the building. He paused for a second to think of what to do next. A tap on the shoulder interrupted his thoughts.

"Let's talk to the front desk. Someone there can help us," she told him as the two began to walk speedily towards a man in his late thirties filling out a green colored form. "Excuse me?" The man looked up at Selphie's voice and smiled politely.

"Morning y'all, need some help?" he asked them.

"Yeah, Ms. Cahokia told us to come here if we needed anything," Vincent told the man.

"And what's it that you need?" he put down his pen and pushed the forms aside cupping his hands together on the counter.

"I have a patient that I just operated on," said the young man.

"Why didn't you bring him here?" he asked with furrowed brows.

"We were going to," Selphie stepped in, "but the place was way too crowded so we decided not to bring him over."

"Ah, I see..." he rubbed his chin as he stood up from his folding chair. "You need some meds for the fella?"

"Some bandages and such, but mainly the pain killers. This guy had a huge splinter lodged in his shoulder from something."

"You know what that something is?" he began to shuffle out of his workspace and across the hallway to a storage room.

"Nah, didn't have time to ask," replied Vincent. "Looks like he fell on it but I'm not so sure."

The man laughed as he pulled out a rusted ring with keys to every lock in the building dangling against each other. "Sounds like that boy's got a pretty tough noggin if he made it through a fall like that! Look at this old hunk of greasy pizza and cold soda pops. Me? I'm only thirty-four and already these days been turning me into an old geezer."

"Aw, come on pop, you don't even look it!" Selphie exclaimed encouragingly.

"Would you look at that...?" he whistled tipping his cap slightly over his forehead. "Little missy here tells me I ain't no oldie, and she goes and calls me pop!" He chuckled lightheartedly pinching Selphie's giggling face. "You's got a fine young lady here kid."

"Again...?" Vincent mumbled. "She's not my girl, she's just... a friend."

"That's right, you keep thinking that," the man replied full of sarcasm. He picked open the lock with a small silver key opening the door to reveal a roughly large room filled with supplies, tools, and medicines used for patients. "Alrighty then, get what you need, then get with your lady friend. I got lots of papers and what not to fill, so just hurry on."

"Okay gramps," Selphie joked.

He stood at the doorway shaking his index finger threateningly at the young woman, but put it down as he shook his head exasperatedly. "You's a handful of somethin' you know that?" Sighing with defeat, he guided Vincent through the room. "So what y'all been doing that got you here?"

"The diner I've been working at got robbed again. That should explain the cashier that I dropped off earlier," he said agitatedly.

"Again, huh?" he said shaking his head disturbed. "Must be them Reds again...I'll be damned if it isn't them. They've been causing a ruckus all week. Patients nonstop for days..." His voice was no longer audible hidden in his grumbling.

Vincent peered at Selphie who appeared distant as she avoided eye contact with anyone else in the room. _What's wrong with her?_ He thought. _Probably still traumatized from last night_. Clearing his throat, he continued, "Yeah, it was. They were stealing some stuff, but luckily I had a friend come and help."

"Oh really? And who is this friend if I may ask?" he walked over to the counter where he searched through the drawers filled with the necessities of a first aid kit. The young man scorned a bit as he tried to remember the teenager's name.

"Eh, well, he's not really my friend, we kind of just met last night. He came in with a deadbeat cycle that needed some work done on it. He's got a Black Ninja XRV actually," he said as a matter-of-factly.

"Ah..." the man nodded with interest. "Haven't seen those since this came along." He pointed at the bald spot on his head. He mumbled as he walked around the room in search of supplies. "He from afar?"

"Yeah, he said he came from the Galbadia military camp," he pointed out.

Selphie, who had been pacing slowly about looking at the wonders of the storage room, suddenly froze in her tracks and spun around swiftly. Her hand hit a tray sticking out from a small cart standing next to a stool. The loud clanging sound made them jump with surprise.

"Oh my...I'm so sorry," she said briskly jumping down onto her knees to pick up the spilled contents of the tray.

"It's all right. That darn tray's been falling all week," the man said with a passing grin. "Galbadia, eh? Seems a little far don't you think?"

He laughed lightly as he replied, "That's what I asked him. Spira's a huge continent. I really don't know why he'd pick this dump to come to."

Selphie stood up shakily nearly dropping the tray again as she stepped backwards to lean against the counter for support. _What's his name?_ She asked frantically in her mind. _You idiot, what's his name!_ She stuffed her fists into the pockets of her jeans as she gripped her hands tightly to keep from screaming.

"Mission for Galbadia perhaps?" the man unlocked another door at the end of the room to a large closet full of bottles of medicine. Most of them were labeled with prescriptions to people in Trion, but some were non-prescript aspirin, painkillers, or meds to give to patients.

"No, I don't think so. He said somebody in Trion sent him some letter saying something about a girl he knew. Old Cid was stalking him around when I took his cycle. Guess he's looking for that lady, Edea, too," Vincent hopped onto the counter leaning forward with the support of his arms. He looked over at Selphie who was as white as a ghost. She seemed to be panicking, but the thought was dismissed from his mind as the man cut in.

"Edea?" he asked. "Say what? It's been, like, six months now? She probably ran off with some perverted fellow long ago."

"Maybe...but this kid isn't like that. I think there's more to it, but the Reds were junking our diner before we talked much about it," the last sentence slipped from his tongue as he realized that Selphie was still in the room. She looked away painfully as he silently beat himself up for it. _Nice going bud. The girl's probably still scared._

"Are you bringing him in later?" he pulled a white bottle of painkillers from the shelf. It had plastic dividers with bottles filling each row. "Sounds like the Doc should check him up a bit."

"Yeah, I injected some narcotics for him. The operation would be a hell of a lot of pain for the guy, so I figured, better knock him out cold." he said remembering the long and exhausting operation.

"Just pop four of these suckers in, two in the morning the next at night. You seem to know what you're doing so I think you can take it from there," he told the intent young man who nodded in response. He picked up the first aid kit from the counter and handed it to him. "We'll take care of that cashier for you. You just take little missy over there and treat those cuts and bruises. I notice she got some on her neck and arms."

He let out a breath of appreciation as he smiled. "Thanks man, appreciate it. Come on Selphie, let's go!" She was torn from her daze as she snapped back into reality. Her hands flew from her pockets as she sluggishly walked over towards the young man that awaited her at the door.

"Oh wait, Miss?" Selphie turned around at the older man's voice. "Take care of yourself. I seen worse from girls round here, but whoever did this to you ain't worth single breadcrumb, you's more than that."

The young woman nodded wearily as she felt a hand slither gently on her wrist. She saw Vincent as he pulled her through the door. "I'm bringing the kid here, so maybe I'll see you later!"

"I'd better not," he grumbled sarcastically.

They left hastily walking towards Vincent's home located two blocks down from Doctor Kadoka's office. Selphie was silent most of the way and clung to her small messenger bag heavy with the first aid kit. Vincent was walking rubbing his hands together blowing into them as he hunched his shoulders forward and dug his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

"Does it still hurt?" She saw Vincent eye the bruise on her neck with concern.

"Um, sometimes. It's not as bad as it looks."

He nodded. "That's good. I got some ointment from the Doc's place. It should help with the swelling."

"Oh...thank you," she said unconsciously.

Her thoughts were still on Cloud as she and Vincent made their way through the streets. In Selphie's mind, she was joggled with questions. I_ can't believe I didn't see it! It's him! But what if it isn't? Maybe it's just a coincidence..._ Her shivering interrupted her thoughts. It was far too cold to be out walking the streets. _Finally, I can get out of this goddamn hellhole. And nobody's going to stop me._  
  
**[Part 23]**  
  
A flock of birds stealthily maneuvered above the thick spiral of fog swirling from white puffs of cotton into gray layers of smoke. The leader of the group led his followers away from the dangers of the roaring thunder clasp. A storm circulated amongst the skies threatening to spear a bolt of lightening through its clouds as it anxiously waits to shed its doleful tears. Slowly, the parched soils of Trion were replenished with droplets of life that the sun had treacherously stolen from them.

The voice of the raining waterfall patted against the blemished roof of Vincent's grungy house breaking the cold silence that hung thickly in the stuffy room. Taking in a deep gulp of air, the raspy dryness of the teenager's throat became unbearably painful causing him to cough uncontrollably. Dust was trapped in his lungs as he struggled to breathe evenly.

Opening the heavy shades of his eyelids, Cloud managed to peek through the hazy slits and take in the obscure darkness of the room. Through a screened window, the weak sun's faithful glow cascaded through the white veil sheet illuminating its light over the teen's resting body. Lucent shadows of raindrops run across his bandaged shoulder as images of a thunderstorm began to plague his mind.

The face of the stranger appeared in his eyes as he rubbed them awake. He slowly pulled himself up into a sitting position on the worn couch. Whisks of pointy thread roughly scathed his skin as he turned and brought his feet to the floor.

_My head's killing me,_ he thought grimly. His body felt sore within every stretch of his muscles. Small movements seemed difficult, and his skin stung all over from the cuts that smelled of rubbing alcohol. His shoulder was thickly wrapped in an off-white colored bandage with the crease of a patch beneath its many layers, but spots of red appeared to have seeped through the fabric. Cloud sighed in relief of having the humongous wooden spike jammed inside his body removed.

The teenager's mind blanked out from time to time, rendering him with a sickening feeling of being drunk accompanied by the slithering nausea spreading through his stomach. Yet his mind wondered back to the face of the stranger. _That_ _girl..._ he pondered weakly. _I know I seen her somewhere, but where?_

He thought about his dream again when his full state of consciousness was brought back to him. Still exhausted and groggy from the operation, he stumbled even when he stood up slowly to put back on his sleeveless shirt.

"Son-of-a— Ah! Damn it!" he barked as he struggled to slide the shirt over his head. He sucked in air through his gritted teeth as he found his military pack. Leaning against the front door, he dug through his pockets until he fingered a small folded piece of paper. Taking it out, he opened it and read the message for the millionth time that night.

"Edea Matrone," he mumbled. "Who are you? What do you want from me?" He tilted his head back and rested it against the door listening to the raindrops tapping against the house. "Are you from my past?"

He waited.

_Give me a sign,_ he silently wished. _Anything... I don't know what hell I'm suppose to do._ Nothing happened. He got tired of waiting when a wave of determination shocked through the course of his body. "I'm going to find you, whoever you are...and maybe, you got the answers I'm looking for."

He turned around and grasped the doorknob opening it to reveal a foggy road hidden by a curtain of falling raindrops. Exhaling sharply, he walked out of Vincent's house feeling the cold dash of wind and water rush down his back. He shivered when suddenly he froze. It's them, he thought as he sensed the young adults sprinting down the road. He hurriedly dragged his way behind a car that appeared to be smashed long ago as he hid away from Vincent and Selphie's view.

Once they were inside, Cloud broke into a run. His muscles screamed in agony for him to stop. His heart screeched with desperation to have rest. His shoulder felt like it was being torn beyond repair, and his lungs felt like they had no elasticity left to take in air. Everything in his existence cried for a warm bed and hot milk to take away the chills quivering through his spine, but his soul ordered him to run.

Cloud ran nearly two blocks until he couldn't lift his legs any longer. The teen let out a hoarse cry of defeat as he wobbled about taking in deep breaths of the freezing air. With one last grunt, he felt his knees give out as he collapsed against the curb of a quiet road. He felt his consciousness drift away as he listened to the steady beating drum of rain.  
  
In the distance, he could hear footsteps splashing through the flooding street come toward him. He was far too tired and fatigued to open his eyes to see whether it was Selphie or Vincent coming to take him back home. The footsteps stopped by his side as he felt a pair of gentle hands grasp his arm. It felt unfamiliar, causing him to peek once again through his heavy eyelids. He expected to see the short auburn haired woman who'd helped him alongside of Vincent.

Instead, he caught a glimpse of a girl with emerald eyes.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

**[Part 24]**

"Hurry Selphie!" Vincent said heartily as he chuckled at the young woman that stood soaked at his front door. Taking her hands off her hips, she stomped into the house after smacking Vincent for teasing her earlier.

"I do not look like a wet dog, so shut your mouth!" she said squinting her eyes and pouting her lips. Seeing that Vincent still chuckled at the sight of her tangled hair hanging messily around her face, she squealed, "Eek! You stupid boy!" She jumped on his back as she smacked the top of his head. "You're so mean!"

"Aw, come on, Selph, I was just kidding!" he said while laughing uncontrollably.

"You think I'm ugly!" the young woman argued as she slightly jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow. She was caught off guard as he grasped her elbow pulling her towards him.

Looking straight into her eyes, he said softly, "I think you're beautiful."

The house fell silent under the light tapping sound of rain that purred through the shabby walls. Vincent held Selphie's arms as his gaze pierced into her with such intensity she trembled with disorientation. She began to feel lightheaded from holding her breath as she shivered from the chills running down her spine. Her unstill movement caused Vincent to snap back into reality.

He blinked as he released the young woman from his hold. _You idiot! What were you thinking? _"Um...I should...go check up on him. See if he's ok..."

With a slight nod, Selphie sent him out of the room as she sunk into a nearby chair. She leaned on the arms for support as she lowered her body slowly onto the beat cushioning. Placing a hand over her chest, she felt her heart racing a mile a minute as her eyes shifted unsteadily. _Get a grip girl,_ she thought. _He's just trying to get out of being knocked aside the head._ However, a constant tugging in her mind left her dazedly lightheaded.

Within seconds, Selphie heard someone stumble in the back of the house as she stood up with alarming curiosity. "Vincent?" There was no answer. A bad thought crept into her mind as she pushed it aside and went to check up on Vincent. "Vincent, is something..."

She was slightly taken as she stepped toward the dismayed young man. "...Wrong?" She managed to finish her question in a hoarse whisper that was barely audible in the pouring rain. Vincent turned around with a serious expression plaguing his face as he stomped his way to the front door. "Wait! Where are you going?"

He stopped with his head down low. "He's gone."

Selphie finally looked back on the couch that the teenager had supposedly been resting on and was disbelieved to see it was empty. She felt as though her lungs had deflated and was crumpled like a ball of paper. Her wide eyes stared at the empty bed refusing to accept that he was gone.

"Where...W-where'd he go?" she could hardly breath and struggled to remain calm as she began to slightly hyperventilate. She shook it off as she took in a deep breath to calm her frayed nerves. Her body however chose to disobey her commands to keep a cool composure as she shakily sunk to the floor.

Vincent continued to stare at the couch in deep thought. With narrowed eyebrows, he rubbed between his eyes as he shook his head with frustration. "I don't know. He shouldn't even be awake yet." He paused to check his watch. "Not for another few hours anyway."

He walked over to the couch and bent down and sat on it as he ran his hands through his thick hair. "Damn it!" He exclaimed as he knocked over a pile of blitz ball magazines onto the floor. "He's a fcking zombie out there! The hell is he doing walking his as out of here like that!"

Selphie rocked back and forth unsure of what to think. "We have to find him."

"Course we do!" he yelled pulling at his hair. "He's a fcking dead kid if he doesn't get a transfusion in the next few hours! He's a freaking lucky bastard if he could make it through that door without knocking himself over!" He waved his arm towards the front door as he kicked a wastebasket sitting next to the couch. He stopped, resting his hand on his waist as he massaged his forehead.

Selphie sat on the floor still, her mind as blank as a slate. Her honey-colored eyes were clouded with visions that raced through her mind as she expressionlessly peered into space. Visions of the Red Wolves, of Trion, of her past began to flood before her eyes as she felt hope draining through her skin into droplets of sweat. She squeezed her eyes shut shaking her head in anger before they burst open with fiery.

"He can't...he can't...he can't do this to me!" her voice climbing unbearable volume. A shriek tore through Vincent's thoughts as she began to pound the ground with heavy fists. Her hands spread out as she dug into the carpet in an insane attempt to rip out the thick threading of the ground.

"Selphie? Selphie stop!" Vincent ran to her side and bent down to take hold of her arms. She screamed again, even more loudly that it began to disturb the young man. He pulled on her arm, but she dug deep into the carpet that she cried in pain when blood began to gush from her forefinger. She pulled back her hand, causing the nail to rip from is skin with a sickening sound like peeling off sticky tape.

She fell back into Vincent's arms as he restrained her tightly to keep her from causing any more bodily harm to herself. She breathed heavily, making a thick lock of bangs to blow off her face. She appeared to gain some type of control, making Vincent loosen his grip. She gritted her teeth as she sunk them into Vincent's arm.

The young man screamed in agony as he felt sharp pain sinking through the skin of his arm. Selphie didn't let go until she tasted the disgusting liquid flowing from the gashes on his arm. She freed herself from his hold wiping her mouth. Her wet hair clung onto her face and in the dim room it made her appear uncontrollably insane.

"Are you fcking crazy?" he spat at her as he applied pressure onto his injury. "The hell is wrong with you!"

Her gaze was lost yet intense. _Something's not right. _Vincent had never seen such disturbance in anyone before. _She's panicking, but why is she going crazy?_

"_He_ is my problem," she told him flatly. Suddenly her eyes clouded with lifeless color. "He won't get away. I'll hunt him down. He is _mine. _Mine!"

Vincent got up and grabbed her arms shaking her violently in hopes she would come out of her trance. "What are you talking about?" He got no answer. "Selphie snap out of it! Why are you after that kid?"

She began to laugh. Her laughs were more like hiccups. "He's mine! Nobody else, nobody but me—

Selphie screamed as her face was slapped hard. She eyed him with shock putting a shaky hand on her stinging cheek. The young man still kept her arms locked with his hands as he frowned heavily.

She looked into Vincent's eyes. He looked at her his eyes furrowed with concern and regret. Her mind began to flood back into her head as reality brought her to come to.

"Vince..." she breathed out. Her vision blurred as the lines and colors on the young man's face wavered in her eyes.

He let out a breath of relief as his lips cracked into a smile. "Selph, are you all right?"

She could feel a thin stream of warmth trace the curves of her cheek as her lower lip quivered. Cold sweat snuck down her back as she shuddered against Vincent's shoulder. He wrapped his arms fully around her running his hand up and down her back.

"Shh, everything's gonna be ok," he whispered quietly into her ear.

She blinked one last tear. "No." She felt him stir in confusion. She sighed as she backed from him. "We have to find him."

With that, she stood up but was stopped by the tug at her hand. "Hold on."

"No! We have to find him now!"

"You're after him. I want to know why," he stood up and leveled his eyes with her. She staggered a bit under his upholding stare.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she challenged him confidently.

Vincent licked his lips and exhaled sharply. "Stop playing. I'm not stupid, I know you're after that kid and I want to know why."

"I already told you, I don't know what the hell you're talking about!" she released herself from his grasp as she walked towards the front door. "You said it yourself, he's going to die if he doesn't get that transfusion right?"

"I'm not going anywhere, not," he said grabbing her arm again, "until you answer me."

She bit her lip nervously. "Leave it alone Vince."

"Why?" she didn't answer. "Selphie, what are you hiding from me? Quit lying, I see right through you—

"You don't see sht! All you see is some btch who can't fcking even take care of herself! Vince, just leave it alone," she pleaded with angry eyes.

"I owe that kid big time, and if you're planning on doing something to him, I can't let you do that," he replied sternly.

"Then get out of my way."

They locked eyes as time slipped by. The quiet beating of the rain filled in the silence that held them together. "I'll only ask you one more time—

"Don't," she interrupted. "Get out of my way."

"Why is he so important to you?" he asked. Selphie gave an exasperated sigh as she shoved him roughly. "Why is finding him so important that it's making you insane?"

She punched him hard in the gut. "Because he's all I got!"

Vincent wrapped his hands around her shoulders and pushed her until she slammed into wall. "Got for what?"

"To get out of here!" she screamed unconsciously. She stopped as she realized what she said.

"What, so that's it? You think he's going to get you out of here?" he said dejectedly. "You don't even care if there are people who might want you to stay?"

"Please," she uttered angrily. "Nobody cares."

"I care!" he shouted. "I care, but you're too blind to see it!"

"You don't even know me! How the hell can you care for a piece of trash like me?" she argued back.

Suddenly time came to a halt. Vincent roughly pushed his lips against hers as he kissed her deeply. Selphie stood frozen with her eyes wide. She was too shocked to realize what was happening. She slowly shut her eyelids as she responded to Vincent's kiss. Feeling her lips moving against his, he softened the kiss.

Selphie shuddered as her body tingled with excitement. Butterflies stung her stomach as she tangled her fingers with Vincent's. The kiss was warm and too delicate for words. She never felt anything like it. She felt happiness flood into her veins pumping through every curve of her body filling her with warmth. Her mind was lost in pure ecstasy as she felt Vincent run his fingers through her hair. Her skin prickled at the tickling feathers of her hair.

Vincent on the other hand was struggling. Everything in his mind screamed him to stop; yet he couldn't. He knew he was making a big mistake, but he couldn't pull himself away from the young woman. _I'm sorry Dove..._ he silently apologized. He couldn't bear that it hurt him badly to be kissing another woman, even after her death. He always thought it'd feel wrong to kiss another because he knew who possessed his heart. _Then why does this feel so right...?_

The kiss began to slowly stop. Their lips began to part away from each other as Vincent brushed his against Selphie's cheek. He held her close as she buried her cheek into the curve of his neck. She sighed with content with her eyes closed. When she opened them, her eyes traveled the room and landed on a gray pouch filled with surgical supplies. Her mind gasped when she realized that the teenager had slipped her mind.

She frowned sorrowfully knowing what she must do. Her eyes wavered as another tear fell from her auburn colored eyes. _Stop falling, _she told herself. She sniffled her last tear as she ordered herself, _Stop falling._ She pried herself from Vincent as she stared at him.

"What's the matter?" Vincent asked caringly.

_You're not good enough for him. _With that, Selphie shoved him hard in the chest. He stumbled back and nearly fell over the chairs as he tried to regain his balance. She walked towards the door and didn't look back.

"Selphie! Selphie wait!" Vincent called out. He straightened himself as he reached for her. She left him with a cold shoulder. "Someone finally cares for you, and what do you do? Push me away! Why don't you admit it?"

"Admit what?" Selphie asked whirling around to him.

"That you finally found someone to care about," Vincent replied.

"No I won't," she said turning away from him. She didn't want him to see her pain. She needed to be strong and confident against him.

"Why not?" he asked. "You can't even do that for me?"

She froze as she fought within herself. "I hate you!" The tears poured out from her closed eyelids. _If only you knew how much it hurt to say that to you._

Vincent felt his heart stop. He felt like she had just knocked him in the face with a large sledgehammer and stabbed him in the chest with a stake. All he was able to do was stand there and look at the woman who hates him.

She took a deep breath. "I...hate...you."

She slammed through the front door leaving it to swing back and forth in the rain. Vincent didn't budge as he watched Selphie disappear into the curtain of pouring rain.

Selphie ran through the streets of Trion with the rain pounding sharply against her face. Her heart was pounding hard against her chest as she struggled to breathe. She felt oddly lightheaded and couldn't seem to concentrate on where she was going. She went wherever her legs took her regardless of her lack of attention._ I'm sorry Vincent I had to, _she apologized to him in her mind. _Cause I've already fallen._


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

**Part 25**

An ocean of shadows surrounded him. In every corner there was darkness and not a single flame of light to help him find a way back. He knew that somewhere, he was still alive, but the teenager was having a difficult time returning to the realm of reality where he lived life as a boy named Cloud. He couldn't feel anything, hear anything, let alone see anything. Yet he sensed the presence of another near by. _Who's here?_ He asked himself. He couldn't remember anything that happened except that he had passed out.

Cloud felt himself in a place where he was conscious to himself, but not to the outside world. He wasn't dreaming, but he was sure he couldn't seem to wake up. All he knew was that he felt pain everywhere. He wasn't sure whether it was all physical pain, for it hurt too much to differentiate.

His mind melted into a haze of mist as he felt himself slip into the depths of the shadows. He tried to feel at ease as he slept soundlessly, however he was at conflict. He brought himself out from slumber as he tried to remember what is causing him so much grief. Before him, the blackness twitched like static colors on an old television screen. He squinted through the adjusting colors running before him chasing away the shadows with every wave of light. He caught himself watching in awe as a picture began to form in front of him.

Suddenly beneath him, a ground began to form. He felt himself falling and rolling against the floor. Slowly, he got up and looked at where he landed. It was a small apartment room that had little furnishes. He spotted an oak table, one with a glass lamp that was covered in dust.

"That table…" he said.

A white flash burned his eyes.

_He saw a plump old man fall back against the old decrepit oak table. He watched as the glass lamp fell onto the hard ground, cracking the smooth surface to shatter into sharp pieces._

Another light blinded him. He'd return to the apartment room. "What the…"

He searched the room again, and saw a small picture frame lying on the couch. He moved towards it, drawn to the smiling faces beneath the glass. Just before he could grasp it, something had caught his eye. He looked up and gasped at the sight. On the open window, behind the cheap laces of curtain were strings of multicolored beads that swayed in the light breeze.

"It can't be," he said hoarsely as he looked down onto his wrist. On it was the same string of colored beads he had tied onto his wrist. As he stared down at the photo lying on the couch, he found himself engulfed with another wave of blinding light.

_He blinked to see Cid trying to calm him down as he swung an empty beer bottle at the old man's face. He'd just seen the photo, a picture of himself with the unknown girl. As the teen backed away from the old man, his hands were tangled in beads. Realizing what they were, he angrily tore it from the windowsill and tied it onto his wrist. _

Another light blinded him.

Cloud turned. To the left was the front door. To the right was a short hallway that led to the bedrooms. He walked towards the bedrooms as he stopped short sensing fear. He looked to his right as he was revealed to a bathroom. He saw himself staring at ice blue eyes just as the light swallowed him once again.

_He saw the child crept slowly toward the mirror. The sight was a sickening one. His eyes were rimmed with red; its white surface was plagued with crimson veins pulsating towards his beating temples. He was a monster. A child deprived of innocence was standing before him with a sinister gaze of pure malevolence. He was terrified of the live portrait hanging against the wall before him. He screamed. A deafening silence discharged from his hoarse throat. _

The light brought him back to the apartment where he stared back at himself. Looking away, he walked towards the back where two doors lay closed. He opened the first one and found a small bedroom. The windows had broken blinds, the carpet stained with years of use, the bed nothing more than a rug covered in beat pillows. The fan on the ceiling shook dangerously with a squeaking sound. He turned a heel to leave when he stopped. _Someone's singing,_ he realized as he cautiously went to open the last door.

As he did, the strange light had stolen his vision again.

_Once he could see, he was revealed to an even smaller bedroom with almost the same dirty carpets and broken fan. However, there was a bed. _Someone's lying there, _he figured when he saw a small lump move under the ragged covers. At the window, a harsh thunderstorm was crying in vain as lightening flashed the room frighteningly. He heard the singing coming from underneath the covers. _

_A little boy peeked from beneath the covers looking at something behind him. Confused, Cloud turned around and gaped at the figure standing before him. "You…it's you," he stammered in shock. She was the same girl in the photo and from his dreams he had dreamt just the night before. She came in smiling and walked toward the teenager. Just as she reached him, she vanished as the ghostly colors of the girl passed through him. "No wait! Don't go!" Cloud screamed._

He tried to grab the vanishing figure as he tripped into white blankness. He stumbled back into the apartment fumbling off the ground between the bedroom and hallway.

"_Hey you," a voice said. He knew that voice. He looked to see that girl walking over to the couch where the child sat. _

"_You look yucky," he told her sadly. Her laugh was one more melodic than any bird's voice could ever be._

Still lying on the cold floor, Cloud closed his eyes as he felt the light overwhelm him once more. Upon opening them, he expected to be in an empty apartment room. To his surprise, he was back in the ocean of shadows where loneliness claimed him viciously.

He felt as light as a feather floating through the darkness. He could see his body that glowed lightly in the shadows, confused and alone. "What's all this suppose to mean?" he cried in vain. He twisted his fingers through his spiky blond hair. He floated off to and fro as he cried silently in the darkness.

"Just breathe."

Cloud's head instantly shot up at the voice that whispered above him. "Who's there?" he demanded. He didn't get an answer and waited as he expected for the light to come take him away. Nothing came.

"Just breathe," the Voice whispered softly.

"I don't get it," Cloud replied.

"One cannot uncover all the answers they seek. An answer is like a sickness. Once you obtain it, more questions expand throughout your mind. How can one live through such inquiry?" the Voice asked. It belonged to a female, a voice as smooth as glass, as sharp as a diamond, wise and confident, yet soft and kind.

"I don't know," Cloud answered quietly. "But I'm so damn confused! I wish I know who I am, where I come from, why I keep seeing faces…" His voice trailed into silence, a rest that hung thickly in the air.

"Wishes take time," the voice told him. "Your heart's desires will surely come, but you must be patient. Patience is but a wise virtue that is the shortest path to feat."

"I feel…" he began. "I'm so lost, I don't know if I can take it."

"You are a strong being. Your heart is one of a brave warrior. Your mind is one that cannot be won over. You can take it," the Voice advised. "But your soul… it yearns for the hearth of a flame. Your desires burn to be discovered. Patience my little wolf, you must be patient."

"How can I be if I don't even know what I'm suppose to do!" he cried. "Tell me please! What am I suppose to do?"

"Trust your instincts. Follow your heart. On the road before you lies one true path that will take you to the truth. I understand your confusion, but you mustn't let it conceal your eyes. Everything around you screams the truth. Your sight has been blinded to this, a barricade too dark to be seen in the light." The Voice sighed so softly, a sound sharper than an icicle. "The faces you see in your mind are not a figment of your imagination. My young wolf, you are seeing images of the past, visions of what you are soon to discover. I cannot tell you the identity of those faces and the story behind each vision that you must discover on your own. Do not be discouraged, you must fight little one."

"I'm not little anymore," Cloud said emotionlessly.

"A child grows upon the years they live. You've grown, but the years have been stolen from you. You are still but a child until your memories are restored," the Voice explained.

"I want to remember."

"My little wolf, you bear the weight of a thousand stars. You need both hands to carry this burden, do not reach for the answers until you are ready."

"When will I be ready?" Cloud asked.

"It draws near," the Voice stated.

Cloud looked above with widened eyes. "Those…words…" he felt a sense of familiarity, but could not place where he'd heard it. A white flash came without expecting, taking over the shadows lurking around Cloud.

_He saw himself in Edea's apartment again. He was unfamiliar with this flashback as he studied the scene carefully. Cid stood before him with confused eyes. He saw himself standing in front of the plump old man looking almost like the child in the mirror did. "Stay away from the boy," the voice was rough and harsh; a voice that came out of Cloud. "It draws near." _

The flash took him back into the darkness. "I…said that?" he asked uncertainly.

"Another vision?" the Voice asked.

Cloud nodded unsure whether the Voice could see him through the darkness.

"I see," the Voice began. "You did not say those words. The presence of another had taken control of your being. Do not worry yourself, in given time, you will come to understand my words, and his…"

"His…?"

The darkness began to swell around his body. The shadows slithered around Cloud's body bounding it in an endless cloak of night. His eyes lost all sense of sight as he felt his body floating away. "Wait! Who is 'he'?"

"In given time my little wolf," the Voice reassured him.

"But," he began. "When can I talk to you again?"

There was a pause as he felt himself coming to. Just before he slipped through unconsciousness, he heard her soothing voice whisper, "When you cannot see light within darkness…"

Reluctantly, he gave into his awakening as his mind returned into his body. The process was nauseating as he suppressed the need to throw up. A light breeze brushed his skin, making the little hairs on his arm prickle. His face felt cool, something damp rubbed gently on his cheek. Instinctively, he grabbed it and to his surprise, it was a hand. It felt smooth and soft against his rough ones.

He managed to peel his eyes open. It was mid afternoon when the sun was blazing. The light burned his eyes as he squinted it shut. Blinking rapidly, he was able to glance at the outline sitting beside him. He slightly gasped as he caught a glimpse of a pool of emerald eyes.

"It's you…"


End file.
